


Our New Lives.

by MuseMusing



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blowjobs, Creepy Octavian, Crossdressing Nico, Elves, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Sex, Eventual crossdressing, F/F, F/M, Faeries - Freeform, Harpies, Kings & Queens, Knight Luke, Leviathans, M/M, My tags are still shit, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace Fluff, Palaces, Phoenixes, Princes & Princesses, Rimming, Semi-Modern Setting, Servant Will, Sex, Slaves, Submissive Nico, dominant will, handjobs, relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-06-10 05:19:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6941464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuseMusing/pseuds/MuseMusing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Our heroes have all died and been reborn, into a semi-modern setting where Kings and Queens rule and palaces are still in style and servants go back and forth for their every demand. Where are our heroes now, and what have they become? Do any remember their past life as great heroes?<br/>Also, all credit of the characters and any original pairing I stick with goes to Rick Riordan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reincarnation.

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to get this chapter out sooner and I fell behind a bit. I got my inspiration further from watching a film: Ever After. A good film, I think. But anyway, here is the first chapter and is an alternate version to We Meet Again only with Nico and Will in the spotlight.

* * *

“Everyone! Up and at ‘em! Get off your useless asses and do some real work for once!” someone shouted far off into the dark before the lights flickered on. Dozens and dozens of people in clothes that were more rags than anything stirred and started to get up from cots placed strategically around the room; it was really in the shape of a giant rectangle with smaller ones ringing the inside and so one and so forth until there were but two cots in the center.

    Then the door slammed to a close and whoever it had been was gone.

    This particular servant that stirred with the rest had sunkissed flesh, a splash of freckles here and there, blond hair of medium-ish length with a subtle wave, and sky blue eyes. Situated in a corner on the outer part, he sat up, stretched, and yawned. The servant in front of him with pitch black hair, equally tanned skin, and bright sea green eyes, got up, only to fall back over to go back to sleep. The girl with fiery red curly hair, paler skin and equally green eyes to his right threw her pillow at the servant who tried to go back to bed.

    Will Solace was a servant among many, bought at birth to be raised as a perfect slave. There weren’t many who were bought like he was, since others were usually already born into it from their parents. Percy Jackson, the boy in front of him, his mother was a servant and she was also a mistress to one of the kings that visited this palace. Rachel Elizabeth Dare was taken in during her toddler years after being abandoned by her own parents.

    They were technically called ‘slaves,’ at least that’s what everyone above them referred to them as, but amongst the people down here, they preferred being called ‘servants,’ as in their mind’s eye it sounded a lot better. No one better than another and they were all equal here. There was no hierarchy they needed to fear.

    “Get your lazy self up, Percy!” Rachel hissed at him, beating at him with the pillow after he didn’t stir.

    “Annabeth!” Rachel whined when Percy just continued to drool on his pillow.

    Annabeth Chase, who got up from the cot in front of Percy, walked over. She was around the same height as Rachel, about average, with a complexion a shade or two darker. Her blonde, curly hair went a couple inches below the shoulders and her stormy grey eyes showed her irritation.

    She began limbering up a bit, doing a few stretches by twisting from side to side and bending down to touch her toes. As she patted her right elbow, she said, “I got this.” A second later she jumped up into the air and came down on Percy, promptly giving him the flying elbow.

    “Son of a - !” Percy shouted as he shot up in bed, flinging Annabeth off of it, who got up, dusted off her clothes, and marched off without another word.

    “Language!” Sally, Percy’s mother, scolded him. Her greying brunette hair was being pulled back into a ponytail by Annabeth now.

    “But she jumped me!” Percy grumbled irritably.

    “Then you should learn to stay awake when you’re told, you know,” Will smirked at him. “This happens four times a week, you dork. Yet you’re always so surprised when it happens.”

    “Tch!” He glared at us all before getting up out of bed finally. Will followed suit, being awake, but not up from bed yet until that moment.

    Most of the servants were filing into a side room to Will’s right, to grab a change of clothes to start their days. Will filed in behind Rachel as he grabbed his clothes out of a cubby sort of section with his name written in marker beneath it. After grabbing them, he walked back over to his cot. Everyone started to change in the servant’s quarters. The women went first and Will went to go cover his eyes and noticed that Percy was a little slow to it, so Will elbowed him, much gentler than Annabeth had.

    They had a system to use when it came to changing, since they were ordered to change before venturing out for the day. The men covered their eyes respectfully and even turned around to give the women privacy, not wishing to invade on it if they could help it. Once the women were done, they would file out and split into two groups as they drifted off; to the left and right. After they left, the door shutting behind the last one to leave, the men would change.

    Will tugged off his ratty, washed out grey rag that was considered sleepwear. It was essentially a dress; what they all wore, except the colours were different. Men wore washed out grey and the women wore a muddy looking reddish-brown. The uniforms during the day were at least a bit more presentable with the men in black pants and their t-shirts were whatever colour their eyes were, so for example, Will and Percy had sky blue and bright green tops, respectively. The women all wore a deep, rich purple dress with a white belt cinched at the waist to show off their figures. Unless you were young, in which case you lacked a belt and had more of a flowing dress. Leggings for the women were optional.

    Will followed Percy out, throwing their night clothes into a bin just outside the door, which Will took by the handles and began to wheel it down the corridor to the left. It was his day to do laundry for the servants and the royalties. Will followed a corridor all the way down a long brick hallway before turning right now, leaving the cart in front of a door at the beginning of this new hallway. He exited a door at the end and started to walk across the courtyard.

    A wide variety of flowers bloomed and swayed in a gentle breeze, green grass neatly mowed and fixed up meticulously. The palace was large in the shape of four parts - coming together at the ends to create a square. There were dozens of pathways that swirled through the courtyard, leading to various doors to all parts of the palace. At the ends of each building high pointed pillars stood up tall and proud, each holding a bell in the free space. They never rang, not in Will’s lifetime, that is. Will wasn’t sure what they were used for exactly; maybe an invasion if it came down to it. The first section that Will had come from was a bit dingier than the rest, lower and more worn out, but clearly used frequently. All the servants resided in that area and they were only allowed out to the do the work they were supposed to. After that was done, they were to report back. To the left of Will, where he was headed, was where the King and Queen lived with their daughters. The one in front and to the right were more additions to the palace for whatever they needed or wanted, they served no proper function aside from just being there.

    Walking out into the courtyard always amazed Will. What he spotted were dozens of servants with wings on their backs in all shapes, colours and varieties in textures. They were different from the modern world that had once existed. Instead of presidents and first ladies they went with kings and queens and princes and princesses. They were whipped when they did something bad, they were sold, and belittled. Arranged marriages between kingdoms were back in style.

    And there were various creatures that existed in this era; the times had changed and the creatures that went with it evolved and grew. Will spotted Annabeth with her smaller form, probably the size of a seven year old child. She had thin wings that were swirled with iridescent colours, as if they were trying to mimic a vortex with such pretty hues. Her hair was longer, down to her feet, and long and flowing and if possible, her features were more feminine and delicate. Will had seen the form so many times that even without seeing her at ground-level he could picture it clearly. She still had the curves of the woman Will saw upon waking up, just she got shorter. Her hair, although, halfway down her back, the blonde faded out to match the iridescent hue of her wings and her skin had a near porcelain look to them, storm grey eyes wider and holding more in depth.

    Will wouldn’t let that fool him, though, because with her claws she could easily tear out his eyeballs. Small or not she would cling to someone’s back and start to hiss, bite and scratch. She’d done it once before to some other servant who’d gotten too grabby with her and needless to say, that guy was now blind and missing a chunk of flesh from his shoulder.

    Will was pretty sure Annabeth kept his eyes as trophies somewhere. That’s what scared him.

    Out of respect for all aerial women, there were no male servants beneath and they were all on the other sides of the palace. Rachel was flying right alongside her and she dwarfed Annabeth - helping her clean the windows. Whereas Annabeth was a faerie, Rachel was a harpy. Rachel wasn’t using her hands because Rachel didn’t have any hands in the form she was in. She had great big wings that were keeping her aloft, mindful of Annabeth’s smaller form. From the waist down, Rachel resembled more of a bird, talons and bird feet included; rags clenched in either as she bobbed up and down in the air. The feathers were thicker from the waist down.

    Her navel area was clean, smooth, and feather free. Up her sides, starting at her hips, were trails of feathers that lead up to her breasts and covered them in finer, smaller feathers as a way to keep her form modest. After her feathers covered the entirety of her breasts, except for between them, there were no more feathers to be seen; the feathers ended at a point just above her breasts. It was strange that her dress molded to her body and changed to resemble feathers, but Will wasn’t questioning it. Rachel’s feathers started off as red at their bases before fading to green. Her wings themselves were a solid faded red to the point they were dark pink. Her body made it look like she was ready for Christmas all the time; not that she seemed to mind.

    Rachel’s feathered tail would occasionally bat at Annabeth’s legs in a playful manner until Annabeth floated over to sit on her shoulders.

    Will entered the palace where the King and Queen resided. On his way in, he ran into one of the princesses on accident.

    It didn’t even register which one it was because Will immediately dropped to a crouch, head bowed. “Please forgive me, milady.”

    “Oh, stand up, Will. I’m not going to have you whipped for bumping into me. I didn’t see you, either.” The voice was soft, but it held an undertone that suggested this princess could be loud if she wanted to.

    Will relaxed as he stood and came face to face with Lady Piper, her choppy brown hair loose around her shoulders and her kaleidoscopic eyes were warm. She wore a white dress that had slim straps and then a gap at the shoulders before connecting to the sleeves that tapered off just beneath her middle finger, a thread around it that came out from the pointed tip of the sleeve. It was like that on her left sleeve, as the right one lacked that thread. A loose belt cinched the dress at her waist and hung off of one hip. It was a three tiered dress, so it had two more layers beneath the shortest, which was below the knees, and the longest layer was floor-length.

    Lady Piper had two siblings, Lady Lacy and Lady Silena, all with the last name McLean save for Silena as she was from a different marriage and the guy died from . . . something. Every time Will spotted Queen Aphrodite, he got this sense of foreboding. It was clearly something that ran deeper and was imprinted on him before he was born. He always got feelings like those and he couldn’t ever figure out why. He knew that at some point he knew this woman in front of him, but that was all he ever knew. He knew he’d never seen King Tristan before he was bought, not in any lifetime, and that same feeling was telling him so.

    Will wondered if he’d met these people in a past life or something because he wholeheartedly believed in reincarnation, as just mentioned.

    “Thank you, Lady Piper,” bowing, Will then added, “But now I must resume my daily chores.”

    “Have a nice day, Will. I’ll see you at dinner.” Lady Piper said as she wandered into the courtyard while skimming her book. Most of the servants gave subtle bows or waves. She wasn’t as mean as other royalties and didn’t treat them like dirt. This entire family didn’t treat them like dirt, aside from the clothes they wore. Their sleeping area was relatively nice and the servants didn’t usually care what they wore to bed. It was strange that men and women weren’t sectioned off, but somehow, it felt right being in one room to rest.

    Here servants were classified just above lower class families and just below middle class. Then of course you had your upper class families - like the McLean’s.

    Will’s day went on as it normally did. He went to the bedchambers of the princesses before moving to the large, oval shaped bedchamber of the Queen and King. It was embellished in vibrant colours of pink, purple, and blues. No doubt the Queen had gotten her way with decorating.

    After that, once gathering all the dirty linen, he wheeled another cart to where the other was in the servant’s quarters. Open the door and within were three heavy duty washers and dryers. Got a palace? Sure! Back in the day washing and drying? Not a chance! Not that Will was actually complaining, because as they were washing, he could go back to the princesses bedchambers and put down new linens.

    In the front part of the palace was another courtyard that lead out to a large circular driveway and beyond that was a straight drive down to a bridge that overlooked a moat. Then of course you walked inside through large double doors that were surprisingly lighter than they looked. In front of the curving up to the second floor and then a leveled out section, before another two sets of stairs lead to the final and third floor. The third floor acted mostly as an attic of sorts.

    Will headed up the right staircase to the second floor before turning down it; to the right. Down at the end of the hallway was a closet where he grabbed a fresh set of ugly bubblegum pink linens. Will thought they were repulsive; he was more of a rich brown, black shade of guy. Or at least if he had to go with pink, don’t choose such a loud colour that made Will’s skin have a pink tone when held up to his skin.

    Making his way back up the hallway, Will stopped at a round door, fifth one on the left, and lifted to his hand to knock.

    “Enter,” came a loud voice.

    After he was bid to enter, Will opened the door and went inside. The room was large, just as circular as the door had been, and painted with gaudy pinks, whites (not as bad), and reds. It looked like if Valentine’s Day had an embodiment, then it threw up in this bedroom. Lady Silena was standing at the window that overlooked the courtyard at the front of the palace.

    In the left corner was a four poster bed, to the right an arranged portion of lush furniture, which was white. There was a dresser against the wall, directly to Will’s left, and on the other side of the dresser that was full of pajamas, was a vanity mirror on a desk, a chair pushed back as if it had been recently used, and in front of the mirror it was cluttered with makeup. Lady Silena was in the exact same dress as her sister, just in the colour of a rich reddish-brown that actually looked nice. Lady Silena and Lady Piper had the same brown-ish complexion, though Will wasn’t sure if Lady Silena was of Cherokee descent. The two siblings had chocolate hued hair, this one having longer hair and it being curlier, and her eyes were a deep sort of blue. Lady Silena had her hair up in intricate swirls and celtic knots with a few loose strands to frame her face.

    Will went over to the bed, setting the linens down as he began to gather up the absurd amount of pillows to settle them onto the couches. Once he did that, he took the fitted silk sheet from the edge of the couch where he'd set them all.

    He went from corner to corner as he tucked the sheet into place, respectively keeping his head down. “Does milady need anything before dinner?”

    “Oh, no. I don't think so,” Lady Silena sighed as she looked out the window still.

    “Milady?” Will said curiously at her sigh.

    “What would you do if you thought you found your match, even if you didn't think your parents would approve?” she murmured softly before gliding to sit in a chair off to the side of the couch.

    “Speaking as just two people, milady?”

    “Yes. No formalities. Just your honest opinion.”

    “Not to be too forward, but I think I'd be with them no matter what. If you don't think your parents’ opinions are valuable, then it only matters if yours does. As long as you find happiness.”

    Lady Silena sat there thoughtfully and it was then Will realized that she may be offered up to another kingdom in an arranged marriage. Will wasn't sure to whom, wasn't even sure that she knew, but he did know that Lady Piper already had a betrothed she had yet to meet.

    Will waited a second before taking a thick quilt and setting it on the bed, folding over the top portion to make it. He then put silken pillow cases on three of the main pillows as the rest were small ones. So, once he finished the pillows and set them back into place, he began to arrange the smaller ones around them.

    “I suppose you’re right. Good talk, Will.” Lady Silena smiled at him and he bowed respectfully. She then got up from the chair and glided out of the bedchamber, presumably to go do something about her enquiry.

    Will let it go as he cleaned her makeup brushes on a nearby towel he was told to always leave there. He closed palettes, rearranged them in a neat line, cleaned up excess foundation and then cleaned up the area of any fallout from eye shadow.

    Lady Silena wasn't typically so curt, so Will assumed she just had a lot on her mind.

    Once he finished in there, Will left the bedchamber and retreated to the same room he had retrieved the blankets and he grabbed a second pair, this set was also pink, but a softer shade. It also had white unicorns with rainbow manes and tails.

    Will eventually knocked on the fourth door to the left, right beside Lady Silena’s. Will waited for about ten minutes or so before the bedchamber door was thrown open and Will was tackled to the ground.

    “Sun!” A voice squealed. A small child was sitting atop his stomach, hair dripping water.

    “Your highness, please, I need to get you ready,” said one of the female servants with a soft whine.

    Lady Lacy was in a nightgown, just thrown on and crooked, while she pouted. “I wanna play with Wiiiill,”

    “Don’t worry, I'll make sure she gets ready,” Will said, keeping the linens off the ground.

    The servant sighed, crossing herself, before hurrying down the hall.

    “Lady Lacy, I must fix your bed before anything else,” Will said. The little blonde, green eyed girl smiled wide, got off him, and ran into her bedchamber.

    Will shifted and picked himself up off the floor. The setup was the same as Lady Silena’s, just without makeup. There was a little play area in the center of the furniture, with toys already strewn around. This bedchamber was painted in all the colours of the rainbow, each wall striped with the colours repeatedly until no more room was available.

    Will did the same thing he had done in the previous bedchamber now, then noticing an outfit folded on the chair by the mirror.

    “Lady Lacy, please get dressed while I place new sheets upon your bed. Then I will need to brush your hair and fix it up for you.”

    The little princess gave him a playful salute, grabbed the clothes, and ran to her bathroom, shutting the behind her. While she did that, he repeated the process done in the other princess’s bedchamber. Except Will didn't have to fix makeup here; he needed to put toys away into a wooden box at the foot of this one’s bed.

    Lady Lacy soon came out dressed in a light purple dress that was a bit poofy around the shoulder areas before slimming down to a three quarter sleeve. It was flowy and ruffled at the lower hem, which touched the floor, and the upper hem of her neckline and her hair wasn’t quite so damp.

    Once the princess flopped down into the chair and put on her flats, Will went over and grabbed a pink, jewel studded hairbrush. He brushed her hair slowly and smoothed it back as the princess kicked her legs and hummed. Will started to do her hair, starting with an infinity braid and once he got down to the base of her skull, he kept it to two strands and began to do a fishtail to finish it off. Will tied it off with an equally purple ribbon that matched her dress.

    In the time that Will had to kill, he played dolls with the princess as long as he didn’t have anything else to do. He made sure she was dressed, got everything in the washer for now, changed the linens on the beds (the King and Queen’s bedchamber, along with Lady Piper’s, hadn’t been his responsibility) and he cleaned up the bedchambers.

    “Do you ever wonder it would be like outside these walls for you, Will?” the princess asked.

    Will set down the pony he’d was having gallop across the marble flooring and paused. He wished he knew what else was out there for him, he really did, but at the same time he wasn’t sure if he’d like it. All he had ever known was being a servant; taking orders and doing as he was told. On some level, it always rubbed him the wrong way, and Will supposed it had something to do with the dominant part of the creature he was. Instead of saying all of that, Will said, “I wouldn’t know what else to do; I’ve only ever been a servant, milady. And everyone treats me well.”

    Will wasn’t sure why, but the princess’s face sort of fell in a saddened manner. “What do you think’ll happen in the future?”

    “I don’t think I follow, milady.”

    “Where do you think you’ll be? Are you hoping you’ll be gone, or do you see yourself staying? I like you, but I also think it’ll be to get out and go.”

    “I’m not sure, honestly. I can’t see myself leaving for any particular reason,” Will eyed the princess when she wasn’t looking, giving her a suspicious look.

    Just then, the bell for dinner softly chimed five times and Will got up, setting away what little toys had been taken out for this play session. The princess got up, hugging Will about the waist, before she skipped off happily and singing something about ‘soon to have yummy dinner in my tummy.’

    Will didn’t head to the dinner hall and instead he went out front to fetch Percy. Walking towards the edge of the moat, without crossing the bridge, Will glanced down into the water, squinting and trying to spot Percy; it wasn’t too hard, if he was on this side of the moat. Picking up a stone, Will dropped it into the water below and waited patiently. After about a minute, razor sharp spines glided along the water from the left.

    A great big head rose up from the water, head cocking in a reptilian way and slitted pupils large and unnerving. The head was shaped much like a rattlesnake’s and Percy flicked his forked tongue out at Will inquisitively.

    “Dinner is done. Does the water muffle the sound? I swear, if not for me, Annabeth, or you mother, you’d never know when to eat. Then again, you should know judging by the time of day.”

    The giant serpent merely huffed at Will and the tongue flicked once more. The scales were varying shades of blue, green, and even some dull yellows were thrown in there intermittently. The tapered tip of the tail had a thin material on the sides, kind of like fins and then there were the sharpened spines at the top that went from just behind his head all the way down to the tip of his tail, getting smaller and smaller as they went down. His eyes were a more vivid shade of green, the kind that would haunt dreams, that you would never be able to forget if he tried to eat you and you managed to get away somehow.

    The leviathan slithered up the side of the moat before the scales rippled and the reptilian body began to shrink and grow arms and legs. In half a minute, Percy was standing there, adjusting his servant’s clothing.

    Percy gave Will a crooked smile that bordered on sarcastic. “I heard dinner. Let’s go, man. I’m starving.” He clapped Will on the shoulder before he jogged.

    “Wait! I still have things to put in the dryer! I forgot about them!” Will jogged to catch up, grabbing Percy’s shoulders and steering him towards the laundry room to help him. Percy made a pathetic whine in the back of his throat.

    “Dude, I’m hungry. Do your own chores.”

    “I did most of them. I just forgot this one! I had to look after Lady Lacy. Besides, all you do is swim around a moat. How are you that hungry already?”

    “Swimming. . . makes me hungry. Lots of calories burned.”

    Will rolled his eyes at Percy, who complained a couple more times, but eventually agreed to help him. It only took them about five minutes to put everything into dryers and in the morning, Will would get up earlier than usual to fetch them; it was a mixture of both day and night clothes for the servants and the King, Queen, and princesses had enough clothing that they wouldn’t notice unless it was a favourite.

    Percy tugged Will to a stop, hissing, “Stop!” in his ear before he dropped to a crouch. Will had just enough time to gather his wits before he, too, dropped to a crouch. Instead of bowing, crouching was the way to be submissive to their higher ups. Unless you were part of the royal guard and in which case, you could get away with bowing or nodding.

    Out of the dining hall came King Tristan, Queen Aphrodite, and the princesses. Queen Aphrodite had blonde hair that piled up on her hair in intricate swirls and knots, no tendrils loose, and was wearing a golden dress similar to her daughters’, but without sleeves and she had elbow high golden gloves on her hands and arms. King Tristan had on tight beige slacks that had a pouch in front and, in Will’s opinion, showed a little more than the servant wanted to see. King Tristan had on a white t-shirt, billowy at the elbows and shoulders, and an equally beige vest over it. He was also wearing a deep purple coat, studded with jewels at the shoulders, with white faux fur at the collar and the lower portion that dragged along the ground. Up upon the King’s head, nestled among the dark brown/black hair, was a large golden crown mainly embellished with purple jewels. Queen Aphrodite had a much smaller one, daintier, with smaller points, and less jewels rimming the bottom portion close to her head. The black eyes of the King roamed around before landing on the two crouching servants, awaiting to be told to rise.

    “Ah, Will, Percy. I was wondering where you’d gone. Will, I mean. I had something to discuss with both you and Rachel. Come to the study after you’ve eaten,” the King nodded and didn’t dismiss them, so they waited until he left before rising; the other four following behind him.

    “What do you suppose it’s about?” Percy asked in hushed tones as they walked into the dining hall, where a majority of the servants were already present.

    “I’m not sure,” Will said with knit eyebrows. He had a feeling that this wasn’t going to be good; a rock settling into the pit of his stomach.

    They sat with the rest of the servants and they dined. There wasn’t much speaking going on, which was normal enough, because all the talking was done back in their own quarters as a just in case.

    Once dinner was done, Will was told to go see the King and to not do his usual chore of helping with the dishes. The study that the King was in was up on the second floor and to the left, all the way towards the end of the hall. Knocking at the door, he waited until he was bid to enter.

    “You may enter,” the voice boomed and Will went in. This room was also oval-shaped, but the colour was a deep, rich purple, matching the overcoat the King wore. It still reminded Will of a cape, though, since it was only ever on his shoulders.

    Towards the back of the room and slightly to the right was a large desk, decorated with papers and pictures in frames. A map was on the wall behind the King. There wasn’t very much furniture within the study, aside from the desk, chair behind it, and two chairs in front of it. Will stopped dead in his tracks after realizing that the King wasn’t alone.

    There were two others with him, both blonde, and both, Will knew, had blue eyes. The one sitting directly across from the King was wearing something similar, except in the shades of blue and black. The colours on this guy made him look anorexic and walking bruise. The guy standing behind him had one hand on a sword and he was dressed in chainmail over simple clothes; a plain blue long-sleeved t-shirt, black pants, and sneakers. This guy had a scar on the left side of his face.

    “My lords,” Will said and he began to crouch.

    “No need to do that, Will, just come in. Please.” King Tristan said, making a motion next to the other King.

    Will walked over reluctantly and refused to look at King Octavian and head of his royal guard, Luke Castellan.

    A few minutes later and Rachel walked in, eyes downcast respectfully.

    Will didn’t miss the hungry look in King Octavian’s eye and watched as Luke bent down to whisper into his ear. King Octavian waved his hand dismissively and Luke grumbled something unintelligible.

    Rachel curtsied to the Kings and head of the royal guard. “My lords. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

    King Tristan ran his hand over his mouth for a moment, as if he was making a decision he didn’t want to make. “King Octavian has offered me a large sum of money and an airtight alliance; if this kingdom is ever attacked, he won’t ever fail to come this way to assist us,”

    Will cocked his head, that sense of foreboding growing deeper and deeper, as he waited for King Tristan to continue.

    “I said it was a matter to discuss, but the deal has already been made. You two are just here to be informed. King Octavian has offered to buy the both of you and I have agreed. In the morning you two will be going with him back to his kingdom,”

    “What?” Will hissed, eyes narrowing at King Octavian. “I don’t want to go anywhere with him,” a pause, before Will remembered who he was talking to and added through gritted teeth,”

    “The deal has already been made. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

    “He’s a creep!” Rachel shouted before her eyes widened and she slapped her hands over her mouth.

    “You two are slaves and nothing more. You don’t get a say in anything. Besides, I’ve already got an idea on where you can go. You forget you’re disrespecting your new owner,” King Octavian turned to look at Luke, nodding his head.

    Luke brought out two collars from a satchel he was carrying, opposite his sword. Will’s jaw dropped at the collars and the fact that they both had tags. “You’re kidding me. You’re giving us _collars_ ? We’re _people_! You aren’t supposed to collar us and call yourself our owner!” Will said indignantly, eye twitching. He could feel his wings shudder beneath his skin, threatening to break free.

    “Too late. You’re both already mine and there’s nothing else to be done.” King Octavian got up, took the collars from Luke and went over to the two of them. “I suggest you bow before your new owner like good pets.”

    Rachel whined as she slowly lowered herself to her knees, head tilting to the right in an act of submission. As much as Will hated to admit it, they were already bought and paid for and they couldn’t do anything as of this moment. Will followed suit, head tilting to the left.

    Will didn’t want to be punished. He was afraid of what the punishments might mean in the hands of this particular King. As King Octavian clasped the red collar around his neck, Will couldn’t help but remember Lady Lacy asking where he saw himself in the future, if he wanted to stay, and what it was like outside of these walls. Lady Silena asking about what he’d do for the person he considered a mate. His own words about finding happiness.

    Will had found some happiness here; he wasn’t happy all the time, or truly happy, but it was enough to keep him going.

    “Harpy, you’re free to go. You don’t need to bring anything. You’ll acquire new things at my estate.” Rachel gave a short nod before getting up and scurrying from the study.

    Will stayed where he was, awaiting a new command.

    “You. Will, was it?” Will nodded. “I noticed you have a golden nimbus in your hair and I’m aware you aren’t human. Shift for me.”

    Will gritted his teeth as he started to change, clothes melting into his skin as he felt the familiar ripple course through him and within half a minute, Will was no longer human.

    In Will’s place a giant, majestic bird. Feathers of varying colours of red and orange and with yellow interspersed at the tips of his wings, which were unfurled on either side of him. He shifted from foot to foot a bit, as if itching to take off. Will’s feathered tail trailed behind him on the ground and that same golden nimbus that had been in his hair had moved down around his neck, where it glittered like a real band and there were also some around his legs, where his ankles would be in human form. The chest feathers were more deep orange before fading to red.

    “A phoenix. How marvelous. I’ve only seen a handful of these before.” King Octavian reached out to gently touch at Will, but the phoenix in him wasn’t at all pleased with this, because fire sparked around his wings and head.

    The King pulled back his hand with a grim chuckle. “My, my. This one will have to trained and broken. You can go now after you shift back, pheonix.”

    Will did as instructed and shifted back to his human form. “My lords.” Will sneered a bit, unintentionally, in King Octavian’s direction before he turned and walked briskly from the study.

    It was a slow walk back to the servant’s quarters. Will didn’t think. He was moving on autopilot. But somewhere deep down within him, Will knew that if he went away he would feel even more horrible. And it didn’t help that he didn’t particularly like Octavian in the slightest. There was something inside of him that told him he needed to at least stay in the area he was in. So, how could he do that without getting caught inside the walls of the palace? He didn’t know what lay beyond these walls. They were all he had ever known and he’d never once ventured out. Alone or with anyone else.

    As soon as he walked into the servant’s quarters, he was bombarded by a horde of them. Rachel in particular as she clung to him and squeezed him tight.

    “I don’t want to go. We can’t do this. Have you seen the way he looks at us? I don’t want to be in his palace, let alone would I want to be at his side.” Rachel’s voice was muffled, new green collar shimmering in the surrounding light.

    “I know. I don’t want to go, either. But at this point, I can’t see any other way out of this.” Will looked to Annabeth, who shook her head.

    “I don’t have anything in mind just yet,” Will could practically see the wheels grinding in Annabeth’s head, but like him, Annabeth had never been outside these walls and couldn’t devise a plan for something on the outside when she had no knowledge of it. Will could also feel the desperation coming from everyone in their room. He had grown up with these people; had history with them; trusted them with his life.

    “We’ll figure something else out. But tonight is our last night here. I think it’d be best if, for now, we enjoy it. We’ll rise early to go.” Will smiled sadly as he looked to all the servants surrounding him, most of them had watery eyes.

    That night, during the early hours of the night, Will swapped different stories with his family and friends. They laughed and cried together as they recounted various stories; some including themselves or others and sometimes even sharing gossip that hadn’t yet been shared from the past week.

    Just as they had that morning, every male covered their eyes and turned away for the women to change and they did so likewise so the men could change. Everyone began to settle into bed with heavy hearts; the weight of the upcoming loss was great enough.

   Will went over to Percy, Sally, and Annabeth and gave them longer embraces than the others, whispering how much he would miss them. They returned his feelings. Before Will got into bed, he hugged Rachel close to him and she clung onto him for dear life.

    “We’ll figure something out. I’ll watch your back if you’ve got mine, Rachel,” Will murmured as he squeezed her, too.

    “You bet your ass I’ve got your back, Solace.” Rachel squeezed him back.

    “You aren’t supposed to bet on my ass, Dare.” Will shot back teasingly. At least where he was going, he wouldn’t be totally alone. He would still have someone who could keep him company.

    Will got into bed and curled up on his side. As he fell asleep he got a few vague images of olive skin, dark hair, and equally dark eyes; flashes of an arm, a grim mouth and a sword.

    It wasn’t the first time Will got glimpses of whoever this person was; had never met them. But the more Will saw it, the more he wanted desperately to see this mysterious person. The more he knew that this person was the reason he wanted to stay.

    He heard the echo of his own voice, “You owe me three days in a bed. . .” and the name that was on the end of that sentence faded away as Will fell asleep before catching it.

* * *

[Here](http://amusewithinme.tumblr.com/) is my Tumblr for anyone who deems it worthy to look at or for any other purposes. 

 

 


	2. Past And Present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who have read The Trials of Apollo, you know what really happened with Leo and I started this chapter before I skimmed the book to find that out. And if I got some character descriptions wrong.. Point them out if you think you need to (unless it is something like what I did with Leo). I am currently in the middle of rereading The Lightning Thief and working my way through.

* * *

There was a swirl of smoke swimming up from the depths of unrelenting darkness that went around and around. That liked to show the past in shockingly clear images. It was useless to try and stop these images from replaying; to try to get the images to change to something that didn’t want to be seen. As clear as the images were, the colours were almost muted.

    The smoke swirled around, slow and almost somnolent itself, before it began to paint pictures. Splashes of colour that began to form and reshape themselves to make something coherent.

    A girl with long dark brown hair, warm chestnut irises, olive skin, and a splash of freckles on her face was smiling down at him with love in that simple gesture. A gesture it would be hard for him to copy somewhere down the road, as he knew from previous dreams.

    “Why can’t I be like everyone else? The way I feel isn’t natural, Bianca,” a voice that was laced with hate and self-loathing that he would come to know was something he’d once said.

    “It’s okay, Nico. The way you feel isn’t bad. Does it feel that bad to you?”

    “Of course it does! Do you see where we are? I don’t want to be killed over my preference to who I want to be with!”

    Her arms moved forward, bringing her younger brother into a tight embrace that he automatically returned. It would be a while later before he let another person give him such an embrace. Equally the same amount of time before he truly let someone in.

    “The way you feel is normal. There’s someone out there for everyone. I won’t let anyone hurt you. You’re free to love who you want and when you’re ready. But don’t ever think that there’s something wrong with you,” Her voice was soft, soothing, and he knew she was trying to reassure him, and in the undertones of her voice he could tell that maybe she really believed it.

    “What if there’s no one out there? Where does that leave me then? I just want to be normal,” came the deadpanned response.

    “You’re normal as you are now. There’ll be someone for you. Just don’t be afraid to let them in.” Bianca smiled her mother-like smile at him and it made places within his heart ache and tremble at the sincerity. At the pure, utter confidence she held within those few sentences.

    But how could he not be afraid to let someone close to him like that? Or in any other manner for that matter? Because just a year later he’d lost the only person who’d given him the support he needed to keep going.

    And the person who’d let her die was the one he thought about letting in. But in the end, he just couldn’t do it. There was so much raw pain, anguish and self-loathing for him to be able to do that.

    Just like that, the dream shifted. Colours swirled, darkened or brightened to be a different shade and the current background of the dream wavered before melting away and a new scene rose up from the liquified pool all around. White columns rose up from the ground and grass grew up and swayed around. But it was blackened and dead around his feet. Why was it. . . ?

    This must be why . . .

    In front of him was a tall tanned skin god with white wings, dressed in all white, and with blood red eyes; irises, pupil and sclera. It looked fairly creepy. Black hair dusted against the tops of his shoulders lightly and he had a decently muscular build.

    To face off against one of the very embodiments of love. Was it supposed to hurt like this? He wasn’t sure, but at the same time, he was also fairly certain it shouldn’t hurt like this. His chest ached and clenched painfully and he couldn’t pinpoint why.

    “Tell him why. Why you isolate yourself from others and why you really left,” the god spoke, a sneer edging his tone.

    “What does this guy want from you?” came a voice from his right, someone he hadn’t realized was there. Blond hair, blue eyes, also tanned. There was a scar above his lip, like a subtle crescent shape. It must have been Jason, right? The voice and the appearance was right.

    He shook his head furiously, not wishing to answer. Why was this god trying to bully him into giving up his deepest, darkest secret? Wasn’t there some things that were better left unsaid? How had this god knew what he had tried to keep buried deep down? Was it because this was the sort of thing he specialized in and therefore had more knowledge for him to abuse as he pleased?

    “Go on. Doesn’t it hurt? To see your loved one cast down into Tartarus? To watch helplessly as you can’t do a thing? Tell us your big secret to get what you came here for,”

    He didn’t want to. It wasn’t anyone else’s business unless he made it so. But they had come here for a reason, didn’t they? The reason wasn’t very clear right then; after all, it was a dream. A memory.

    “Percy Jackson.” The name was spat out venomously, as if it had a sour taste that singed his tongue. “I had a crush on Percy.”

    After some more time, he realized that he must have given a guttural scream and it shriveled the grass around him, dying on the inside as he pretended he was.

    The scene shifted and cracks ran through the smoke that had woven the dream to life and it looked like a cracked lens of a camera.

    We were all just observers.

    He looked down to see someone gripping at his pale hand. It felt different and it did strange things to him on the inside, much like this person’s voice. He would never admit it, but this hand in his felt right, even if he did immediately snatch it back as if he were scorched by a simple touch.

    The voice that was equal parts angry and concerned. “You aren’t healthy! Three days. You owe me three days in a hospital bed, starting now, Nico.”

 

**         **       **

 

    Nico opened his eyes then once the dreams had shattered and ended, leaving at least an hour of dreamless rest after that. It was typically taxing, seeing everything play back and be reminded of his past life. Nico was one of the few who knew of their past life and of those around him; any who he thought was great companionship even during those times when he hadn’t seen what he’d been putting them through. When he’d tried to push them away.

    Sitting up while rubbing at his eyes, Nico thought back on everything, as he typically did each time he had a new dream of his past.

    Three hundred years ago the gods died out and faded. No one knew why, Nico didn’t know how. He didn’t care to know how. All he knew was he’d been a demigod. A powerful demigod. An outcast until Percy Jackson fixed it. Then an outcast of his own accord. After the battle against Gaea and once everything settled down, Nico was able to take a look back to remember and work through his issues. He’d had Will, Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Hazel, Reyna. An abundance of others who’d wanted to care for him. He didn’t want them to at that time.

    Nico had had to work through his hatred and self-loathing over who he was: being gay. First he analyzed his crush on Percy. He’d regretted the words, ‘You’re not my type.’ In truth, Percy had been. He was compassionate. Kind. A little bit of a dork, even though his sense of humour hid the pain and he was a smartass. His determination. A list of other things. But Nico talked to him. Told him about his crush from when he’d first set eyes on him once he saved Nico and his sister. Percy understood. And he didn’t care Nico preferred his own gender. Percy confessed that he’d thought Nico loved Annabeth, and that Annabeth suspected the same thing. Percy and Jason both told him that the world would accept him for who he was. Nico knew better. There would always be people who wouldn’t accept him for who he was. Reyna told him it was okay and anyone who had a problem with it were just closed-minded people who, most likely, had skeletons in their own closet. (She thought she was being ‘punny,’ since Nico could conjure skeletons and she had even smirked at the pun, since he'd been playing with a skeletal canine at the time.)

    Piper talked to him. Miraculously it had been her who had helped him get through it. She made a great therapist in that life.

    The emotional trauma of being outed when he hadn’t been ready, but that it could be a reality to some kids. That it was okay, things could and would get better. Many of the people who loved him or even cared would understand, and wouldn’t judge him. They’d protect him. Stand up for him against anyone who thought it was wrong, even if he thought he didn’t need it.

    This was Piper, daughter of Aphrodite, and she didn’t care one bit who he loved. Just like his sister back before she had died in that life. The only thing that mattered was that he was happy.

    He’d had to deal with PTSD. He needed an outlet that would help. Piper helped him find the things that would make it easier to bear. They found out that he was pretty good at chess. In a life where everything was dictated by fate, every movement watched and criticized, chess was something he could control the outcome of by honing that skill. It was something usually done in a game against himself; to give the then- illusion that Nico was still in control somehow. That Nico could and would choose where his life went. Piper had went with that; it meaning he could and would choose where his life went. Annabeth liked to play against him when he wasn’t playing to take back control. She thought it was something of a challenge against him.

    At the age of eighteen, Nico had gone on a quest.

    He didn’t come back.

    He knew that he died. He knew how and where. On Nico’s left thigh, his femoral artery had been cut by something from a monster who snuck up on him while he’d been protecting a child. How could he not have seen the attack? It didn’t matter. Not anymore. Nico was judged and then sent to Elysium, surprisingly. He found out that the child lived in the end, from the help of their godly parent after said child prayed; Hades told him after Nico asked about the child and what had become of them.

    In this life the scar was still present; a birthmark.

    Hades saw his son for what he was, recognized Nico’s accomplishments and in the end decided he wasn’t such a big disappointment. He’d gotten to see Bianca in Elysium, which was something that surprised him. He’d gotten to see all of his friends; most of them lived long and healthy lives and lived to be old and pruned. Those that had been old started to look youthful after a day there, maybe to remind them of when they were in their prime times.

    He saw Leo in Elysium. Nico watched as Piper and Jason tore into him. After all, Percy said that Leo didn’t once try to come back to them. Jason and Piper crying as they held their old friend close. Leo apologized profusely and explained that Calypso had left him after she found someone she seemed to like better, though he never elaborated on why, precisely, he didn't come back.

    Leo didn’t understand that he was a part of their group.

    He did then in that moment, and he’d cried, too. Leo realized too late he had had a true family and one that wouldn't throw him away.

    Jason confessed to Nico that his relationship didn’t work out with Piper until they were in their mid-twenties. That they both had issues of their own to work through.

    Nico saw Will around the same time he saw Hazel and Frank; they'd died on separate searches looking for him when he didn’t come back. Will first on his own, then Hazel and Frank. 

    No one looked for them, though, because they didn’t want anymore of their friends and family to perish. Will squeezed him in a bear hug before scolding him. The three of them weren’t bitter that the others didn’t look. They mourned, and kept living for them. And as far as the four of them were concerned, it was enough. A variety of people had wanted to go searching, but they were convinced to allow just those three to go.

    Nico had watched as Elysium slowly started to fade away. It was at the beginning of the fade that him and his friends got sucked out of Elysium before being reborn. He wasn't sure what happened when one died now; he almost dreaded finding out.

    Nico got up off his bed and went to his closet to pull out clothes to dress for the day. Three hundred years later and Nico had been reborn as an elf. It was odd what time did to people and how it changed the beings that lived in the world. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, Nico frowned. Long, shaggy black hair to the middle of his back, brown eyes, olive skin. The only things that changed had been his ears, which were now subtly pointed and the little vein-like cracks that ran along his flesh in odd patterns and shapes: on his face, his chest, right shoulder, left hip, and his legs. They weren't wounds. They looked like they'd been drawn on well, tracing some of his veins.

    And Nico was currently in his early twenties.

    He didn’t hate himself like he had in the previous life, which was a giant plus.

    He didn’t need to be worried of constant battles. Of being kidnapped by a vengeful god, goddess, titan, or giant. Nico was free to live his life as he wanted to. Free to love who he wanted. It was in this lifetime that Nico finally realized that he had a permanent mate; a soul mate of sorts. He hadn’t found them yet, but he always felt a pull in different directions, trying to guide him somewhere and had yet to find the person at the end of it.

    Nico would find out who this person was and somewhere deep inside him, he was hoping it was Will.

    Nico pulled out a pair of jeans and a deep, rich brown hued T-shirt from his closet. He happened to glance down and spotted a pair of tights hanging out of a box. Hastily dropping down and shoving it back in, Nico hoped no one would come inside his bedroom or anything. He tried to keep it tidy so no one would have a reason to be suspicious. He may have accepted himself for how he was, but he was still reluctant to let people see him in things that were considered feminine. No one knew about it and he wanted to keep it that way. There was something about it that he had a feeling he was waiting for something before openly dressing as such.

    The only exception was the pair of panties he had slept in and now pulled jeans on over them - the panties being silk in a pastel pink with a white bow in front and thin strips of fabric making three x's down either thigh since they were cheeky ones.

    After buttoning the jeans and pulling on a pair of socks, Nico tugged on the T-shirt. After ensuring he looked presentable in the floor length mirror on the inside of his closet door, he nodded. He gave his hair a quick pat down, taming it just a bit more.

    Nico then grabbed a black, lightweight tunic from his closet and pulled it on over his arms, sleeveless it was and showing off the undershirt he wore. There was four buckles on the front, the first starting just at his collarbone and the last ending just above his waistline, which he then buckled properly; the skull buckles gleaming. The tunic was to show what class he was in, which was middle class. Him and his parents had money, but nowhere near what the kings and queens had. The gap at his waist of the fabric of the tunic  was to make it easier for him to carry his sword, which was solid black from blade to hilt and pommel.

    A knock at his door and Nico adjusted his clothing once more and shut his closet door firmly, voice ringing out, “Come in!”

    Nico looked over as Frank Zhang stalked into the bedroom, muscular form bulging underneath his form-fitting black pants and a brown t-shirt matching the shade Nico was currently sporting on his own form. Frank had a crew cut in this life just as he had in the last. The only difference was that Frank was completely human, not an ounce of supernatural blood or anything flowing through his veins. He was also still of Chinese descent and him and his mother, Emily, lived with them. His father, Mars, had died when he was young and Nico could honestly say he wasn’t sad to see the man go.

    He remembered Frank being able to shift into all these different animals and in this this lifetime, he’d been downgraded for who knows what reason.

    “Your father wants to talk to you.” Frank said with a cock of the head. Long ago Nico had told Frank to stop crouching in his presence. He didn’t like it. He would have preferred the life they lived before, without the gods like they were now and just minus such a hierarchy.

    “About?” Frank shrugged at his question.

    “Dunno. He wouldn’t tell me. He just told me to come get you.”

    “I’ll be there in a minute. Where is he?”

    “Study!” Frank called out over his shoulder as he retreated out into the hall to go about his day. Nico rolled his eyes at the human.

    Nico walked out of his bedroom, shutting the door behind him as he walked down the hall. They lived in a small mansion, so it was probably the size of a lobby of an expensive hotel with two floors. It was a short walk as he went towards the end of the hall and down the winding staircase at the end. Over the railing from where Nico could see, from the very top of the staircase, was the front door below. The first floor was clear of anything, like a ballroom. Entering from the front door, off to the right was a couple doors, both open to show the kitchen and dining room. Off to the left was the living room in a different room, door also open to reveal what was inside. He enjoyed having his room up on the top floor by the stairs. So that made the stairs start about ten feet to the left from the front door.

    Hopping down the stairs in a graceful manner, Nico headed towards the back of the house to the last door on the right, on the other side of their house. He rapped on the door with his knuckles, right hand then clasping his left wrist behind his back.

    A moment later and the door was opened by their third and final servant, with Emily and Frank were the first and second one respectively. The one in front of him had curly black hair, brown eyes and was wearing the same clothing as Frank, just in a much smaller size. Compared to his past life, Leo Valdez still looked like a Latino Santa’s elf, pointed ears included, though it was subtle as it had been then. Leo wasn’t an elf like him in this life, not like Nico and Nico’s father.

    Leo had a long tapered tail neatly grafted to just above his waistline of his pants and he had four fingers. The pinky fingers that Nico had was something Leo lacked, though the latter didn’t even seem to care about the missing appendages. He was still as scrawny as ever, too.

    The tail was black with long splotches of red-orange, but the colours were muted and dull looking. His skin wasn’t tanned like in his previous life and instead it was also black with the same pattern as his tail. His eyes reptilian, almost.

    Leo was a fire salamander.

    Leo nodded to him, then got down on all fours as he literally slithered over to Nico’s father, whom was standing in front of his desk, book in hand as he paused in skimming it. When Leo got near to his father, he started to move himself up and down using his arms; the actions were jolted and stilted in their rigid actions.

    “I know I've told you this, but you look like you're on hydraulics, Valdez.” Nico said in a bored tone as he entered.

    “It’s fun. It puts a bounce in my step. You should try it, Mr. Grumps.” Leo kept on being Leo the Hydraulic Salamander.

    Nico rolled his eyes again. Leo was their bodyguard. Not like they really needed one, but it made Nico’s stepmother feel safer. To be honest, Nico thought it was just an excuse for them to keep him. They'd found him on the side of the road in a box outside of a house fire. The upside was that it hadn't been Leo who had started it. He was a victim and his (Leo’s) father had rescued him and went back inside for his mother and perished alongside her.

    “You wished to see me, Father?” Nico started to ignore Leo now. His father, Hades, had been watching with amusement.

    Nico wasn't sure how reincarnation went for the gods, but he supposed they just got sucked into a vacuum much like the demigods had. Nico remembered how Hades used to be. He wasn't as indifferent towards his children this time or trying to play favourites. Hades, like Nico, was an elf. The only thing different was the placement of his father’s markings, vine-like cracked charcoal hued markings wrapped around his forehead and disappeared into his hairline. Nico wondered, absently, if he shaved Hades’s head if there was more to it.

    “Ah, yes. Your mother and I -”

    Nico cut him off with: “Stepmother.”

    “- are going to the palace for some sort of ball. You are in charge.” Hades gave him a firm look at his interruption.

    “Just adults, I presume?” Nico cocked his head to the left for a moment.

    “It would appear that way again. As far as I know, no one has died, thus our appearance there is just for the sake of a social standing. Your sister will be here as well, but as I understand it, she’s pursuing other interests.”

    “How long is it to go on for?”

    “I’m not sure. If I had to guess, at least three days as per usual there.”

    Nico nodded. It wasn’t unusual for the palace to throw galas and the like at least once a month. But typically, it was by invitation only. He wanted to go visit the palace one day.

    Hades ran a big funeral home and memorial service, giving people from lower to upper class a shot at burying their loved ones and making it nice at a reasonable price depending on what their income was. If they couldn’t make the pay, then they were expected to pay little by little whenever they could. People around here respected Hades enough to do just this when they had no other option, making monetary plans for when they needed it. Even people from other places and palaces would come to Hades for just this thing, and he would take trips to where they lived to accommodate them. It was a successful enough business and one that wasn’t so bad. Nico himself had accompanied his father on some missions.

    Nico’s stepmother, Persephone, had strongly disliked him when he’d been a demigod. Though the relationship had gotten better in the end, in this lifetime, she’d treated him the same in the beginning and had yet to warm up to him. Not for his lack of trying, either. He’d tried and tried, and it hadn’t worked. When Nico and Bianca were younger, their mother had died of some sort of disease, one Nico wasn’t aware of and had left it at that. Shortly afterwards, Hades had remarried.

    Despite being in his early twenties, Nico still lived here with his family. He felt safest and he was reluctant to move. There was something he hadn’t found yet and Nico wanted to claim it before he went anywhere. He was afraid he would never see what it was that kept him grounded to this place. Nico didn’t know what kept his sister here, and he didn’t ask, just accepted it.

    Nico looked back to Leo and made a face of disgust, realizing why his colours looked so dull. “I swear, if you finish your molting stage in the middle of the kitchen again, I’m going to punt you.”

    Leo had stopped his hydraulics act and was inspecting himself. He paused in the middle of it when Nico spoke and replied with: “It wasn’t on purpose!”

    “It was still gross.” Nico muttered. Leo’s colours were looking duller and he knew Leo was due to molt any day now.

    “You’re free to go, Nico. I’ll be leaving within the hour.” Hades dismissed his son just like that, but it wasn’t spoken coldly. He watched his son banter back and forth with the fire salamander in amusement and his eyes glittered.

    Nico gave a glare to Leo, who thrashed his tail at the elf, before slithering over to a corner with a bed in it and lowering himself onto it, curling up. The fire salamander would no doubt be there the next couple days until he finished his cycle. The kitchen incident had just been once and Leo had thought he’d had one more day.

    Nico bowed to his father respectfully and left, leaving the door open behind him.

 

**        **       **

 

Two hours after his father had left, Nico was lounging around in the living room with Bianca, who was playing a video game and was enjoying herself. Nico was in the middle of dozing when the doorbell rang, an obnoxious chiming filtering through the house.

    Groaning, Nico got up and stalked his way towards the front door, Frank already there and opening it. Nico froze halfway there when he spotted Octavian and Luke. Nico grit his teeth together as he didn’t like either of the two blonds. He remembered how Octavian had died and Nico wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d gotten what was coming to him. Nico hadn’t been there when Luke had died, but he’d heard about it from Percy when the two of them pushed past the awkward I-used-to-have-a-crush-on-you thing.

    “Is the master of the house here?” Octavian asked, looking at Frank like he was an insect that needed to be squashed.

    “The Di Angelo patriarch isn’t here, but I am in charge in his absence,” Nico said smoothly before Frank said anything. Frank stepped aside, but was giving a deadly glare to the king who’d just insulted him by the suggestion he was a pet. Nico nodded to Frank and said, “I’ll handle this.”

    With one last glare to Octavian, Frank grumbled something unintelligible before walking off.

    “Your slave isn’t very respectful, is he?” Octavian observed, watching Frank walk away.

    “Oh, he is. But you offended him by suggesting he’s nothing more than a pet. He’s a person.” Nico said coldly. “Now, what do I owe the displeasure of this visit?”

    Octavian sneered at Nico, lips twitching, but replied with, “I lost something and I’m determined to get them back. They managed to run away from me as I was transporting them back to my palace. I was wondering if you’d seen two slaves in collars around here.”

    “I haven’t been outside today, nor has anyone aside from you come to our doorstep.”

    “Most unfortunate. But if you do happen to see these two, they’re sporting red collars with my name on the tags and information. If you spot them, do me a favour and contact me and I’ll ignore your disrespect.”

    “I’ll let you know if I come across them, certainly, Lord Octavian.” Nico bowed his head, but the movement was stiff. The last thing he needed was to be taken to trial against this king who had loads of money and a lot of bribed friendships.

    Octavian smiled, no teeth and all hostility, before he inclined his head and walked down the drive of their house to his own ride at the bottom. It was a carriage pulled by four pure black horses. Apparently the King was too full of himself to actually have the decency to drive himself anywhere. Luke had his hand on the pommel of his sword until he opened the carriage door for Octavian. It reminded Nico of a pot with a pointed lid.

    Nico waited until he drove off before he went to go shut the door. Just before he shut it, something caught his eye, the glinting of metal in the forest across from Nico’s house. Nico froze, scowling as he squinted to get a better look, but the flash he’d seen was gone.

    “Bianca!” Nico shouted as he retreated inside, grabbing his knee-high combat boots and tugging them on.

    Bianca came out from the living room, dark brown hair loose around her shoulders. She was wearing a metal bralette, which wasn’t all that weird since it was part of her usual attire. There were thin strips going down her sides to connect to a pleated skirt, the soft fabric silver. She had on leather gauntlets, fingerless, and in a scarlet red shade, that stretched up the entirety of her forearm. Bianca was a valkyrie and knew what happened when someone died, but she also wasn’t sharing information on it.

    “Who was at the door, Nico?”

    “Octavian. He seems to have lost some servants and asked us to keep an eye out for them. Apparently they’re wearing red collars.” Nico was hastily fixing his boots.

    “And where are you going?” Bianca arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over the portion covered in metal at her chest.

    “I saw something outside, so I’m going to go check it out.”

    Bianca went to the front door and stepped over the threshold. Nico asked, “What are you doing?”

    “Going with you to check it out.”

    “I didn’t ask you come with me. I was only telling you what I was doing.”

    “Too bad. I’m still going with you.” Bianca smirked at him and walked down the drive now, flat heeled boots silent on the pavement. Nico sighed and went after her, jogging to catch up. There was no changing her mind at this point.

    Once near the edges of the forest, Nico peered inside before he started to go into it with a scowl. There was a tugging sensation he could feel inside his chest, like something trying to draw him closer inside. Bianca followed, a little ways off to his left. The forest was dense here as they picked their way inside, avoiding bushes and low-hanging branches.

    Nico still wasn’t seeing what had made that flash earlier, but he did see some disturbances in a patch of dirt: a footprint. Crouching down to inspect it, Nico ran his fingertips along the edge of it; it wasn’t very deep, but enough to tell someone had been here. Whether it was fresh or not was up for debate since people come and go all the time, but Nico had the sneaking suspicion that they weren’t alone and that made this fresh. Straining to hear things out of the ordinary didn’t work very well and the smells filling his nose was from animals. There were two that didn’t quite fit in with the rest, but were close enough and muted enough, to pass off as your typical animal.

    “I found this over there caught in a branch. It’s got Octavian’s name and shit on it.” Bianca came over and held up a red collar to Nico.

    Standing, he took it and checked out the metal tag in the shape of an oval. Engraved on the front was some information:

 

Property of Lord Octavian

of the West.

Pet has been lost

and must be returned.

Rewards in waiting.

 

    On the back was a number Nico could call. Not very much information, just the treatment of what could truly be classified as a lost pet and Octavian flaunting the fact he was the king of the richest kingdom.

    “The question is, which one of them does this belong to?” Nico wondered. “They were obviously here.” Nico looked around, trying to make out anything that might be of help, but there was nothing.

    “No clue. But I think one of them is wounded. I spotted blood on the ground where the collar was. Octavian is probably around here somewhere, trying to find them, so it wouldn’t be wise to go looking until we’re sure he’s gone for awhile. There’s two of them, and providing they aren’t seriously injured, they should be fine.”

    Nico scowled yet again because he really wanted to go looking some more, but he also knew his sister had a point. “All right,” he relented. “But tomorrow I’m coming back and I’m looking around some more. If one of them is injured and it was inflicted by the man who’s supposed to protect them . . . I’m not giving them back. Not that I would want to either way, injured or not, but we’d have to figure something out to keep Octavian from claiming them again.”

    Nico started walking back with Bianca, having shoved the collar into her brother’s pocket a bit and let him shove it the rest of the way in. Worry churned in Nico’s gut and as much as he wanted to keep looking, he didn’t want Octavian to find them and give hints as to where his missing “pets” would be. But tomorrow Nico would grab supplies: food; drinks; clothing; and some medical supplies just in case.

    On this side there was nothing but forest and on the opposite side was a row of houses, all of them big and mansion-like and proclaiming the family had money and was of middle class. Bianca kept looking back towards the forest, as if it bothered her, too, though she didn’t say it.

    Once back inside the house, Frank was again at the door and was ready to close it. Nico looked back, unable to help it, and he could’ve sworn he saw the bluest shade ever looking in his direction and knew that whoever was hiding, they’d missed them somehow by just a hair. A protective feeling stirred in his gut and Nico could feel the markings all over his skin vibrating and pulsating against his flesh, the submissive beast within him shuddering in joy and demanding to be let free.

    In the back of his mind, he could have sworn he heard the submissive beast in him speak up. _Soon he’ll have us,_ were the words that floated through his head.

    “Frank, I’m going hunting tomorrow. I want you to help me set up a couple bedrooms and a few other supplies.” Frank nodded and shut the front door.

* * *

And then, naturally, you can have my [Tumblr](http://amusewithinme.tumblr.com/) for whatever reasons. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Review and give feedback! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have no idea what I will update next, so we can call it a surprise.


	3. Damn If We Go With.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to bust this out in a couple days. Taking a few breaks in between. Hoo-rah! But there is a bit of very light beating and there is your warning; perhaps not enough to trigger anyone or anything, but just to be on the safe side. More so towards the end of the chapter; about three fourths of the way down.

 

* * *

That morning, Will woke up to the sounds of banging on the door. Sitting up and swiping at his face groggily, Will looked around in bemusement. The door opened and in came two people, both with a head full of blond hair and that was enough to jar Will into an state of awareness and he immediately stood, not wanting to be laying down and defenseless as these two came over. It wasn’t like Will thought they would do anything, but since yesterday the dominant beast within him had been irritated and indignant of the treatment they were receiving.

    “Time to come with me, little pets. We have a long journey ahead of us.” Octavian stalked over and kicked the bed Rachel was in, who had begun to stir before they had come in.

    By this time, all the servants had begun to stir and were looking around, utterly bemused and equally aggravated at some unknown male’s voice that woke them up. Rachel climbed out of bed, wobbling as she tried to shake off her somnolent state. Octavian was in the same outfit he’d been in yesterday, as if no one had bothered to offer him anything different. Maybe he hadn’t thought that he’d been gaining two new “pets.” Just saying the word in his head sounded like a sneer and just as sarcastic.

    “You’ll need to leave so we can dress, since you so rudely woke everyone up,” came Annabeth’s cold voice. Percy was glaring in the two blond’s directions and Will noticed that his right eye kept twitching as he crossed his arms over his chest. Even in something that was a dress and still half-asleep he managed to look intimidating.

    “Oh, don’t be like that. I’ll be sure to bring them along again whenever I come to visit. You’ll get to have your playdates,” Octavian sneered and it was obvious to Will that he was leering at Rachel.

    Will almost punched him and instead focused on what Percy was now saying.

    “Playdates, huh? Shouldn’t you be on one, then? I hear the wolves are very festive this time of year,” Percy matched Octavian sneer for sneer and tilted his chin up in defiance.

    Percy was going to get them all killed. Will wished he punched Octavian then. At least Percy wouldn’t have said anything.

    Luke unsheathed his sword and pressed the tip just under Percy’s chin, forcing his head up higher and for him to back away a smidge. “That is no way to address a king, _pet_. On your knees.”

    Percy’s eyes glowed with hate and he even pressed into the blade’s tip, like he would sooner go for Luke’s throat than kneel in submission.

    Annabeth’s eyes darted around, and Will figured she was thinking they were about to be in some serious trouble. King Tristan wouldn’t give them hell for it, since he wasn’t very fond of this king to begin with, but Octavian could still have a trial set for them if he wanted to.

    Annabeth grabbed Percy’s arm and yanked him back and then yanked him to his knees as she sank to her own respectfully, head bowing. “Please, forgive him, Lord Octavian. He’s only upset that he’s losing two of his close friends. Certainly you can understand the emotional state he’s in?” Annabeth was speaking in her best innocent, ass-kissing voice. From here Will could see her glare at Percy from the corner of her eye and he could swear he saw smoke curling up from the side of Percy’s head where Annabeth drilled a hole into it from glaring so hard.

    Percy’s jaw clenched and he bowed his head and Will caught the end of his expression: lips twisted up into a snarl and he had a few scales shimmering on his face, like he desperately wanted to shift and eat these two.

    Will would have helped him. Shit, Will would have barbequed them for his friend so he wasn’t eating them raw.

    “Forgive me, Lord Octavian, as I’ve acted rashly.” Percy ground out through his teeth; it sounded . . . mostly believable.

    Octavian looked like he was contemplating this before he set his hand on Luke’s shoulder, who then promptly sheathed his sword, it clicking into place. “Very well. I’ll let this incident slide so long as it’s the last one,” then he looked to Will and Rachel and said, “We’ll be leaving in half an hour. Make sure you’re ready, say your last goodbyes, and meet me in front of the palace. Or else Luke here will come get you and drag you out.”

    Rachel was giving Luke a cautionary look, as if trying to figure out if he was some sort of supernatural being. Truth was, neither of them knew and they weren’t exactly anxious to figure this out just yet. Octavian gave a dramatic toss of his floor-length black coat as he glided out of the room. Just as Luke shut the door behind him, whatever had been holding Percy back snapped and he let out a list of colourful profanities, expressive hand gestures, and the scales were more prominent on his flesh.

    “Percy, you haven’t even met them before. Why do you hate them so much?” Will observed as he watched his friend simmer and boil in rage.

    “I hate them on principle.” Was his simple answer as he grumpily headed to his cabinet area for his clothes. Sally was watching her son in worry and hadn’t even scolded him. “I think it’s instinct. Not to mention, now they’re taking you two away and he was leering at Rachel too much for my liking.”

    “How about I torch them and you can eat them?” Will suggested helpfully as he followed his friend regrettably.

    Percy’s eyes brightened and he pushed up his sleeves. He started to walk towards the door with a hungry, predatory expression, scales shimmering more on his flesh. Well, it certainly didn’t take much for Percy to like that idea.

    “Percy! Go back to your bed and wait to change,” Rachel scolded him as she grabbed her own things. “Besides, if you ate them both you’d wind up with a stomachache that’ll last for the next two weeks. We’ll see you guys again. I’m definitely not going to get involved with him. He can’t make me.”

    But Rachel’s voice faltered at the last sentence and Will gently grasped her shoulder and she leaned into it. “I won’t let anything happen. He won’t be able to touch you. I’d sooner escape with you than let it happen.” Even to Will’s own ears, his voice sounded grave. Will missed the sly look on Percy’s face.

    Rachel’s eyes were a little misty as she went back to her own cot now. Will followed suit and, much like they had the day before, the men covered their eyes and turned around. Percy still looked like he was simmering as he covered his eyes and turned. In fact, he looked equal parts murderous and protective.

    The women left, Rachel lingering outside the door once it was closed and Percy moved over to him before he changed. Those green eyes looked too bright; full of emotion. “We won’t let him have you two. I don’t feel like this is a good idea. Money and alliance be damned; shit’ll go sideways and you’ll be too far away for us to help at this point. I was up with Annabeth last night and we were talking. She and I have a plan.”

    And so, Percy leaned in and began whispering in Will’s ear, the other servants dutifully minding their own business like their two friends weren’t in the middle of discussing an escape plan.

    “I heard from someone that that area is an entire forest. It’d be easy enough to make a quick getaway for you two until the cost is clear.” Percy assured him with a nod and he seemed so convinced this would work. “Annabeth thought of it first; she couldn’t fall asleep. So I helped devise a plan with her.”

    “If you two already had a plan, was the hate an act?”

    “No. I’m still pretty pissed over the two of them. But I feel better knowing you aren’t arguing.”

    “Percy, I may not be arguing, but I’m still worried over this entire thing. If you and Annabeth get caught . . . I don’t want you two to die for us.” Will picked at his fingernails.

    “Then we won’t get caught. I believe in this plan.” Percy undressed and put on his day clothes.

    Will nodded, but on the inside, he was queasy and nauseous. If Will had no sense he’d go, _well, nothing can go wrong, right?_ But Will _did_ and therefore, he’d worry nonstop.

    Percy left before Will finished getting dressed, giving Rachel a smile and a pat on the head and she looked like she wanted to give him an elbow to the gut. And she might have, if not for the fact that he scampered away before she could do just that. Rachel didn’t seem to have any knowledge of what was going to happy later and that was probably the best way to leave her. He didn’t want her to seem too hopeful or anything; it might tip off Octavian. At least Will would look the same: anxious and like his stomach was trying to turn itself inside out.

    Will finished dressing, straightening his sky blue t-shirt and flicking invisible lint off of his black pants. He gave Rachel a tight smile. “Ready?”

    “I won’t ever be ready for this.” Rachel murmured as she walked with him down the now deserted halls. Will wound his left arm through her right one, keeping her close, giving her the sense of a strong, solid presence. It didn’t matter that he was currently beside her. Through touch, it may settle their animal instincts that were deeply unsettled.

    As if on cue, Will could feel his inner phoenix begin to quiet and it wasn’t as full of worry as before or a ball of twisted emotions. It was what had been making him nauseous. The phoenix within him terrified for his friends’ safety. Terrified for himself and what would become of him if Octavian really got to keep them. Would he even be Will anymore, or just a shell of who he used to be?

    Will didn’t think he would've been able to say goodbye to everyone again, especially since he had gotten them out the previous night. Will didn't want to risk showing any other weaknesses to the King who had bought them. Provided he had actually unintentionally showed any to begin with. It was best to be safe rather than sorry.

    Will and Rachel made it outside, Octavian already waiting for them beside a carriage. It reminded him of a teapot: big, round, and with a lid. Except this lid was pointed and Will was pretty sure it didn’t come off. The carriage was blue with splashes of black. It matched the walking anorexic bruise in front of them. The pure black horses pulling the carriage, four of them, were stunning. The coats were shining and they looked well-groomed and well-fed.

    Luke opened the door and even from where Will was right now, he could still see that the inside was fairly spacious. Will didn’t see a driver up front, so he assumed Luke was the one driving. He doubted Octavian would ever drive himself anywhere if he could help it.

    Luke was waving them inside impatiently; the two servants, that is. He would probably sooner behead himself than be disrespectful to his King. Will sighed and Rachel fidgeted, but she moved forward, climbing the three small steps to get into the carriage. Will had noticed Rachel had put on tights this morning, and this was something that she hardly ever did. Will followed close behind, unwilling to let much space between her and Octavian if he could help it.

    Because he was of a dominant creature blood, he was very protective of anyone who, in his eyes, might be submissive. It was in their scent, but not often in their actions to avoid being ruled by pure instinct: submitting to someone you didn't want to. Rachel was, in fact, submissive by nature. It was also the reason he felt so protective of Percy; despite his actions, he was also submissive. So one could say that Annabeth liked to take control whenever they were alone (Will had seen it before).

    It made Will yearn for something he had never known. He would never be happy with another person who was as dominant as he was and the very thought had the phoenix in him cringing and almost chirping in anger. Not quite for someone who would be so utterly submissive, but someone who just enough to placate him. Someone who, while being submissive, would also be strong enough to fight at his side if it was needed.

    Will sat next to Rachel on the right side from where they entered, crossing one ankle over one of hers, almost akin to a clear sign of possession to anyone who didn't know them. It was more to do with the same comforting touch as before- an act of protection against all harm. Likewise, Rachel scooted herself in an angled manner, away from him, ready to spring into action. It was instinctual. When one saw the need for protection, the other would follow with whatever position they felt was best suited. Rachel thought this one may result in a confrontation of sorts.

    Will was hoping they could get away with little to no incident. Especially as Octavian got in and gave them sly smiles. Will would swear to anyone, up and down, that he could feel the sliminess radiating off of him in just that simple gesture. Will had the urge to go back into the palace and scrub himself clean, as if he had been infected with some sort disease.

    With a holt, the carriage started on its way. There was no speaking, no eye contact. Though Will desperately wanted to rip the collar off from around his neck; the creature in him chirping angrily at being collared - the chirping was a noise he could hear faintly in the recesses of his mind.

    To make time go by faster, Will looked out the window to his right, passed Rachel. There was mostly a lot of road and a whole lot of nothing else between the palace and what they considered downtown. It probably took them about an hour to make it there. On the way there, Rachel didn’t stop fidgeting with the hooded cloak in her lap that the two of them had snagged just before leaving. There was a slight chill to the air when they’d left. Will had no idea why all the servant didn’t wear something purple to match King Tristan, as the women did with their dresses, put the cloaks did, at least. They were a deep rich purple and surprisingly enough, Octavian didn’t say anything about it when they took them. He’d probably burn them anyway, so Will assumed Octavian didn’t have much to say on the matter. Will was already wearing his cloak, thankful it was floor-length.

    “You’re a harpy, aren’t you, Rachel?” Will was broken out of his peace and quiet when Octavian spoke in that smooth, slimy voice of his. It grated on Will’s nerves more than he cared to admit at that moment. He was also wondering why he bothered to ask, since it was already known.

    “Y-yes, I am.” Rachel murmured softly as she looked down. It was a strange sight to see, as it wasn’t something she typically did. It was almost as if her instincts were screaming at her to be careful. That this man wasn’t someone she wanted to make angry; to be compliant and submissive all around. It had Will’s own instincts rankling and a surge passed through him, a tidal wave of protectiveness that roiled through his skin. He found himself sitting up straighter, wings vibrating just beneath his skin and his skin prickling with feathers that wanted to sprout, to be free. Wings that wanted to shield his friend. Fire that wanted to scorch the threat in front of him until there was nothing but a pile of ashes in his wake.

    “You forgot something at the end of that sentence, dear harpy,” Octavian gave a cold smile.

    “My lord,” Rachel murmured in a placating manner, head lowered more now.

    “Good girl,” Octavian smirked, something victorious flashing in his eyes and Will’s creature _did not_ like it in the slightest.

    “We are not pets, Lord Octavian.” Will stated, trying not to sound as cold as he wanted to be. Unfortunately, he failed.

    “You’re wearing collars for my kingdom. I believe you classify. You will do well to remember not to speak until spoken to, _pet_ ,” Octavian went to stand, hand raising as if to strike Will.

    It went against Will’s very instincts, but he lowered his head to Octavian and said, “Forgive me, my lord. I’ve spoken out of turn.”

    Will found he would sooner claw out his own eyes than ever utter those words again. He would rather take the punishment after shoving his foot into this guy’s groin. He’d rather eat a hot piece of charcoal. A million other things than to ever say it again.

    Octavian looked pacified enough as he sat himself back down and Will straightened himself. But Will knew, from his eyes, that this wasn’t the end. Will had felt fear at first, when they’d met, but right then, there was none. Wherever it had been, it was now buried deep inside Will’s chest.

    “Now then, Rachel. I have a proposition for you.” Rachel waited silently for him to continue. “I’ll leave your buddy here alone if, the second we get back to my castle, you come to bed with me.”

    Will swore Rachel turned three shades paler and wound up the colour of milk. Will’s eye began to twitch repeatedly and his mouth opened, about to say something, before Rachel spoke, soft and uncertain.

    “You’ll leave him alone, my lord?”

    “Yes. He won’t be whipped, beaten, or tortured in any manner if you do as I say. If I’m feeling generous, he’ll get off the hook with a few lashes. I have a kingdom to run and I can’t have my pets and subordinates thinking they can get lippy with me, or disobey, or any such other things when my word is law. But I promise to leave him alone if you agree to this.”

    Rachel’s lower lip quivered and her eyes watered, her head still down. She didn’t want to do this, but she was afraid for her friend’s life and was willing to risk it.

    “You aren’t doing shit, Dare. End of story.” Will turned a poisonous look on the so-called King and bared his teeth at him. “I’d rather be subjected to whatever you’ve got to throw at me before I let my friend become nothing more than a sex slave and a breeder to you. You aren’t the kind of King that should be leading anything! You don’t deserve everything you’ve got. And you shouldn’t be trying to bully others into doing what you want just to have your way.”

    Will stood up, entire frame trembling with rage. Will had had enough by this point. “That crown on your head shouldn’t give you the right to do whatever the hell you want to, you arrogant son of a -”

    Octavian moved quicker than Will thought possible and he planted a fist in Will’s gut, causing him to double over with a hiss of pain. Then Octavian shoved him to the floor and started to stomp on Will’s side four times. Just enough to give him light bruises. The crown, similar to the one King Tristan wore, only in solid blacks and varying shades of blue, tilted on Octavian’s greasy hair.

    “You’re nothing more than a slave and therefore what you’ve got to say doesn’t matter. No one wants to listen to a slave. No one’s going to, either. Who’ll believe what you say? Just someone crying out for attention because you want others to believe something is worse than it is. I’m giving you a home.”

    “Home? We had one! You’re giving us a prison!” Will hissed through his teeth, pushing himself up onto his hands as Rachel watched in horror. She went to stand, to try and do something, anything, to distract the King. Will felt the carriage wobble dangerously, more so towards the front, and assumed the constant movement in back was taking its toll on the loosened harnesses that connected the carriage to horses. The carriage itself wasn’t very heavy, either. It was fairly light, as big as it was.

    “Wait! Stop!” Rachel cried as Octavian bent, fury in those blue eyes. “I-I . . . I’ve made my decision.” Rachel reached out, grabbing Octavian’s left arm, who spun on her and raised his hand.

    But when Will saw that hand raise up and move towards his friend, Will lunged and he could feel his skin rippling and changing. Soon enough, he wasn’t human anymore, he was a phoenix as he pushed her into the seat again. Flames reared high towards Octavian as the giant avian curled its wings around Rachel and pulled her closer, the flames licking at her skin harmlessly.

    Before Octavian could do anymore, the carriage swerved dangerously before Will felt it tip forward, the horses running ahead without their cargo. Will clutched at the padded seats of the carriage with his talons, Rachel wrapped up in his wings and trapped against one side of the carriage. The next second, the carriage was hit from the side by something huge and it started to roll numerous times; King thrown around, yelling in alarm and pain since he kept hitting numerous things since he had still been standing.

    Will lost track of how many times they’d rolled, but they finally came to a stop. Will had be anticipating this and quickly shifted back, falling to the top of the carriage since they were upside down. Good news was that he landed on his back after maneuvering Rachel down. She looked more than a little shaky. Will shoved himself against the door, which opened with little trouble. Will went outside, then reached back, grabbed Rachel’s hands and dragged her outside. Octavian must’ve hit his head on something, because he wasn’t moving. He was breathing, but nothing else.

    “Come on! We need to get away. I think we went a little too far for this to be anything but good.” Will ushered Rachel.

    “But . . . What . . . ?” Rachel murmured, still in a daze of sorts.

    Will, unfortunately, didn’t get to do much else, because he felt a pinching pain in his side. He looked down, spotting blood at his side and a tear in his cloak, which he was wearing still. Rachel squeaked and turned to the source after a sword had impaled itself into the ground nearby. Rachel jumped back to avoid getting sliced.

    Luke was standing behind them, apparently having thrown the sword like a spear in his desperation to keep the servants in place, but he was wobbling and swaying. There was a few bruises on his face, but as Will watched, they began to lighten, fade and disappear. Will gaped, even as he stood there bleeding; it didn’t feel particularly deep and life-threatening, but Will wouldn’t be entirely certain until he could look at it.

    That was when Will noticed the subtly pointed ears and the black, veiny markings on his exposed leg, the pants torn up the side. What was it with elves and those weird veiny markings? What did that show?

    Luke took a step forward, growling low in his chest, before Will saw a flash of purple from around the corner of the upturned carriage before it bulldozed into Luke, sending the two crashing to the ground. Then the hooded figure turned Luke around and before he could process what was happening, he was punched a few times and thus rendered unconscious. The cloaked figure got up, went over to Will, grabbed him and started hauling him off. A second hooded figure grabbed  Rachel and did the same, who squeaked in surprise.

    Will spotted the horses further down the road now and they’d seemed to come to a main road, houses lining either sides and a few small shops. They turned down a side road before they came to a halt, once out of everyone’s line of vision.

    The two cloaked figures pulled their hoods down a little once they found a nice secluded area where they wouldn’t be spied upon.

    “You could have killed us!” Rachel shouted in a whisper after seeing Annabeth’s face.

    Annabeth arched an eyebrow before looking to her mate. “I thought you told them.”

    Percy rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. “Er, I told one of them?”

    “You knew?!” Rachel moved forward, hands going towards Will’s throat.

    “Kind of! But it turned out okay!”

    “Why didn’t you warn me? You ass!” Rachel whined and started to shake Will vigorously by the shoulders. Will started making blubbering noises, trying to explain and failing.

    “Then again, it might have tipped Octavian off to something more. But in any case, it’s done and over with. All we can do now is keep going and make sure you two are safe.” Annabeth interrupted, tugging Rachel off of Will.

    “First thing’s first: Will, trade cloaks with me,” Percy started to shrug out of his, unclasping it from around his neck.

    “What? Why?” Will sized Percy up and was thankful that they were just about the same height now.

    Percy jabbed a finger at Will’s side. “Your cloak will give you away if you’re spotted by one of them. If they chase after the wrong two, it’ll give you some time. We don’t intend to get caught, but we do intend to give you two a chance to get away from him. Now give it, before I take it off of you.” Percy actually started to tap his foot on the ground impatiently, left hand with cloak in hand and his right held out expectantly.

    When Will didn’t comply, Percy did, in fact, wrestle the fabric off of him and put it on himself, chucking the other at Will’s face. Will sighed and put it on.

    “I told you I should’ve brought medical supplies!” Annabeth hissed at her mate after spotting Will’s slightly bloodied side.

    “I wasn’t counting on anything else!” The couple argued back and forth in hushed tones. Annabeth made an irritated sound through her teeth eventually.

    “Will, once we’re not in the open anymore, you should tear off a strip of fabric and tie it around your waist.” Annabeth had started to inspect his side without lifting the t-shirt and was shifting the fabric around instead. “It isn’t too deep and it isn’t bleeding too bad, but you’ll want to be careful if you can be.”

    They didn’t ask if anything happened in the carriage, and neither Will nor Rachel were offering anything up. All four of them tugged up their hoods and set off again, making haste just in case.

    After a few more side roads, trying to keep a low profile by weaving in and out of houses or backyards, they finally came to one part of this small town, just before the downtown-ish area, where it was lined with houses on one side and a forested area on the other. They heard the slow steady clopping of horse hooves on pavement and they hauled ass towards the forested area. Percy shoved Will and Rachel inside the forest, hissed, “Stay hidden!” before he started to run off with Annabeth beside him.

    “Wait! Will we see you again?” Rachel cried before they got very far. The two figures stopped dead in their tracks. Will could see Annabeth smiling, her eyes shadowed.

    “We’ll try to come back as soon as we can. We’ll find you. Be careful!” Annabeth and Percy then kept going. They seemed certain that they would meet again.

    They watched until they disappeared around the corner of another street. Rachel pulled Will deeper into the forest, crouching down behind some thick bushes. Around the corner, Will saw Octavian’s carriage. He wouldn’t be surprised if Luke had managed to fix it and set it upright. Speaking of, Luke was in front, seated just behind a raised ledge where there were reins for the horses, the straps in Luke’s hands. He pulled them to a stop in front of a house that was a dark grey, a stark contrast to the other light coloured houses on this block.

    Luke dismounted and let out Octavian and they watched as the two of them climbed up the steps to the front door. They couldn’t see all of it, or the exchange that went on, and it didn’t take very long. Will absently wondered why Octavian didn’t try the other houses to see if they’d seen anything. Will ducked back down as the carriage pulled off down the street in the direction Percy and Annabeth had gone. He stood there now, Rachel following suit.

   He could feel eyes on him, or in his general direction, but when he looked towards the source, whoever had spotted him, disappeared. Will noted that the door to that dark grey house was still open and there was movement.

    “Time to hide!” Rachel squeaked before she grabbed Will and started to tug at him. They went one way before turning, Will shaking mud off of his shoe. His side brushed against some low-ish branches before they paused. Rachel turned into her harpy form and flew off further into the woods and then up into a high tree with particularly thick coverage. Will was cursing her mentally, though he supposed he had it coming with leaving her out of the plan earlier that day.

    Will looked around wildly before he dropped to a crouch and crawled between two high, thick bushes. The foliage would be enough to conceal him and so he crawled all the way to the back. He set his back against the trunk of a tree, where it ended.

    It wasn’t long before someone came into view and Will’s heart started to beat erratically in his chest. So loud he thought it could be heard half a mile away. Crouching in front of him was the most perfect man he’d ever seen. Long hair to the middle of his back, olive skin. He didn’t see his eyes just yet. He could see black veiny markings on his face. Will caught a whiff of the scent and almost moaned aloud.

     _Submissive_. It stirred something in Will’s chest. He couldn’t tell what it was. But he did know he felt fiercely protective. And maybe a little aroused. This man was a submissive elf; Will noted a subtly pointed ear when it parted a small section of hair that had been trying to conceal it. Will almost crawled out of his hiding place and begged this elf to take him home with him and share a bed with him. Not to have sex, no, but to just lay with the man. Inhale more of his scent. Play with that sinfully dark hair. Wrap him up in Will’s wings and guard him as he slept.

    Then a girl came over, holding a collar in hand. Will’s eyes widened and his hand flew to his throat, which was bare of anything.

    When the fuck did it fall off? If these people called Octavian or anything, that was it. This had been their one easy enough escape and it would all go out the window if they were caught. The woman looked like the man, so they were probably siblings. The only difference was that the woman was a dominant creature, like him. The man, however, looked to be about twenty-two like him.

    “I found this over there caught in a branch. It’s got Octavian’s name and shit on it.” The woman said. Her voice was nice to listen to. The man stood up, having inspected a shoeprint in the dirt from Will. He took the collar from the girl.

    As much as Will wanted to go home with this guy, he was also afraid of what would become of them. As intoxicating as the man smelled, he didn’t fully trust him. That is, that’s what he kept telling himself. His instincts were screaming a different matter at him, telling him that this guy could be trusted. _You’ve seen him before,_ his instincts were trying to tell him. Will’s brain, however, knew that there was no way he had met this person before. Either of them.

    “The question is, which one of them does this belong to? They were obviously here.” The voice coming out of his throat made Will’s knees feel a bit weak. If he hadn’t already been hiding, he might’ve fallen over. The entire time he was hiding, Will was holding his side, trying to stop any more blood from coming through, so he also had some fabric pressed into the wound.

    “No clue. But I think one of them is wounded. I spotted blood on the ground where the collar was. Octavian is probably around here somewhere, trying to find them, so it wouldn’t be wise to go looking until we’re sure he’s gone for awhile. There’s two of them, and providing they aren’t seriously injured, they should be fine.”

    The man scowled, as if he were displeased at having to wait, but he relented. “All right. But tomorrow I’m coming back and I’m looking around some more. If one of them is injured and it was inflicted by the man who’s supposed to protect them . . . I’m not giving them back. Not that I would want to either way, injured or not, but we’d have to figure something out to keep Octavian from claiming them again.”

    Will was pretty sure something else started to pool in his chest and he just about leapt out and clung to this man’s back out of sheer happiness. But Will wasn’t entirely sure how much he could be trusted, no matter what his instincts were screaming at him. They were also telling him he was an idiot for ignoring his instincts.

    Will watched sadly as they began to walk off, back towards the house they’d come from.

    Will slowly moved from his hiding place before he stealthily moved back to where he’d been before they hid. He watched them go inside and when the man looked back, Will didn’t shy away or try to hide. Let him try to find them. Let’s see what happens.

    Their eyes happened to make contact from across the road, Will could feel it deep in his bones. The dominant beast inside him shivered and growled in pleasure. _Soon you’ll have him,_ a voice whispered in the back of his mind.

    The beast in him wanted to go across the street and settle down with what his instincts were telling him were his. It felt different, wanting to stake a claim on this man, in the way he’d been claimed and bought. He wanted to protect, to feed, to care for. Not to have this man as a possession.

    Will was saddened more as the door closed, but then his hopes went high again. He’d be looking for them tomorrow, if he kept up to his word.

    Rachel soon came up behind him, linking her arm around him. She was in her human form again and she looked a little dreamy eyed.

    “What’s wrong with you?” Will asked, arching an eyebrow.

    “Did you see the girl with him? She’s so pretty and strong.” Rachel was making soft chirping noises as she sighed, looking towards the house. She looked almost . . . lovesick.

    “I noticed. Except I was too busy staring at the other one.” Will smirked at Rachel’s dumbfounded expression before her lips widened into a giant grin. Will then relayed everything they had said.

    Rachel still had that grin on her face and it only got wider. Anymore and her face might actually split open. “Do you think they’ll find out without us having to show ourselves? Perhaps they'll prove themselves.”

    “Maybe. I’m intrigued to see what they’re both going to do.”

    “Do you think if I feign an injury the girl’ll carry me back?” Rachel asked eagerly. It was clear to Will that Rachel’s inner creature had already staked its own claim on the sibling.

    To be honest, the phoenix in Will wanted to chirp just like Rachel had done moments before.

    “Maybe. She just may.” Will chuckled softly before looking around. “Come on. We’d better find a place to rest for the night or something. And some food. And a stream. I’m dying.”

    Rachel rolled her eyes at him and starting walking deeper into the forest, dragging her friend with. “You are not. Stop exaggerating.”

    Will grumbled at her as he followed along anyway. On the way there, he tore a strip from the cloak, after finding it was reasonably cleaner than the rest, because knowing Percy, he did tend to be a bit dirty. Not to mention, Will had crawled through an area of foliage, brushed against some branches and whatnot, so he needed to make sure whatever strip he tore would be sufficient enough. After carefully sniffing and inspecting it, Will wrapped it around his waist, tying it off. He left it above the t-shirt he already wore for now until he could hopefully get something better to treat it with. And at least find some place where he could clean it up.

    They walked for what seemed like forever, having idle chatter or falling into comfortable silences. Eventually, there was a soft tinkling noise and somewhere in the distance, something glittered. Rachel saw it after, but was the first to drag him that way. They were really deep into the forest now, but at least they’d found a stream. The companions fell to their knees, hands cupping in the water before bringing it to their mouths and slurping up mouthful after mouthful. It was decidedly very crisp in a clean, pure way. Rachel cooed beside him, thrilled with the cleanliness of it. Now if only they could get some food or something, that’d be the tip of the iceberg. Will was tempted to hunt something for the both of them and would likely be doing so eventually.

    “Who are you?” came a girl’s voice from behind them. Both of them stiffened and spun around.

   There was a girl there, barely an adult, with semi-light coffee coloured skin. Her cinnamon brown hair semi-long and with small, tight curls throughout it. Her gold eyes were piercing. It wasn’t the yellow that tried to pass off as gold; it was honest-to-gods gold. And she was naked. Kind of.

    She had strips of what looked like swirling dirt that covered her breasts and pelvic region. From what Will could see, it even covered her back end.

    “Oh, uh, we were just passing through. We don’t actually know our way around here, you see, and -”

    Rachel was cut off by her. “You wear the clothes of servants. Why are you roaming outside the walls of a palace?”

    “Er, can we just go with the fact that we escaped from an exceptionally horrible man and now we’re hiding out? We lived in a different palace before we were bought and sold.”

    “I’m Rachel, by the way. This is Will.” Rachel put in kindly, smiling to the young girl.

    The girl seemed to be digesting this information and she looked pretty angry in general. Will couldn’t tell from what, exactly.

    “I’m Hazel. If you seek sanctuary, you’re welcome to come with me.” The girl, Hazel, smiled to them, returning the same kindness Rachel showed. Hazel turned around and began to lead them off somewhere. Will was wary to follow, but he found himself compelled to obey anyway. They were led deeper into the woods until they came to a cave concealed by boulders.

    Will supposed that maybe Hazel had been on her way back when she spotted the two of them. Squeezing past the two boulders, light seeped through. It was pretty spacious for a cave. Large and oval shaped. In the very back was a cot made of what looked like firm packed dirt with grass and flowers. In the center was a pit, some sort of stew simmering in a metal pot, held in place by a spit.

    To the left was something of a seating arrangement with mounds of dirt; some shaped like chairs and others were just mounds, essentially.

    “If you don’t mind my asking . . . What creature are you?” Will asked, genuinely curious.

    Hazel went over to stir the stew, crouching there. “I’m an earth nymph. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen anyone willingly come into this forest. For some reason, everyone likes to steer clear of it like it’s haunted. I mean, it isn’t, but still.”

    “Have you been here long by yourself?” Rachel asked, taking a seat around the cooking stew, huddling up by the fire in the pit. Will followed suit.

    “For a nymph I’m still pretty young. An infant by their standards. I haven’t been here too long; just a few years, give or take. I think. I’m terrible with time.”

    Hazel got up and went to the right, opposite the little sitting room area. It was full of silverware, bowls, and every cooking supply needed to be living out here. Everything was metal. Hazel took three bowls and three spoons, setting them on a towel made of what looked like soft fabric beside the pit. There was some fabric here and there, to keep the cookware off of the dirt. She started to ladle stew into each bowl. Handing one to Rachel, spoon inside, and then doing the same for Will.

    “Thank you, for letting us stay here. For feeding us, too.” Will said sincerely. But Hazel looked happy to have some company around now. Will wondered how lonely she had been without anyone else.

    “No problem at all. I’ll have to fix it up a bit so you have a more comfortable place to rest for the night. As it is, we only have a few hours left of daylight.”

    Will looked towards the boulders in surprise. Had the day gone by that quick already?

    “Hazel? Do you have anything for wound care?” Rachel spoke up tentatively.

    It dawned on Will that he couldn’t determine whether or not Hazel was a submissive or dominant. Her scent didn’t give anyway anything to him. Maybe it didn’t work that way for nymphs. Will would have to ask eventually, should he get that far.

    Hazel’s head whipped up sharply, since she’d gotten ready to ladle more stew into a bowl for herself. She narrowed her eyes, looking back and forth between them. “Who’s injured?”

   Will sheepishly raised his hand and he was surprised she hadn’t noticed before this. Maybe she thought he’d been making a fashion statement. Perhaps she’d been so happy to have company it slipped her mind.

    She set down her bowl, stew absent from it, and she got up to rummage in the kitchen area. She came back with a first aid kit from behind a mountain of pots and pans. And so, with that, she undid the makeshift bandage, took a pair of scissors and cut away the fabric of the t-shirt so she could see it better. She took out a couple individually packaged alcohol wipes, tearing one open to clean the outside of the wound and getting rid of the blood. She was careful not to place her fingers to the cut, ensuring just the swab itself was touching his skin. Afterwards, she disposed of it, setting it on the discarded packaging and opening a new one. This one she used to clean the cut itself and Will winced at the subtle sting it gave.

    With the blood cleared away, Will could see that the wound wasn’t very deep or long. It was just a little deeper than a cut. Deep enough to bleed a good amount, but not enough to require stitches.

    Once Hazel finished that, she took a clean pad, set it over the scratch, and taped it down. It was really only right along his side. After that, Hazel patted his shoulder and cleaned up, setting everything back. There was a bag in the corner, and Will saw she used it for garbage. He wondered what she did when she needed more or when she needed to dispose of them. Someone else might help her out, possibly not very often, and only if she needed it, as she would cause a bit of commotion going out mostly naked. Or so, Will would assume.

    Hazel got her own stew then. Will couldn't tell what it was, but it was delicious. He would have to deal with his torn t-shirt until later. It wasn’t that big of a deal anyway.

    For now, Will ate in companionable silence with Rachel and Hazel. Until later, they had no worries.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will most likely be posting a new story, of sorts, with the darker aspects of the seven (plus Nico and possibly Reyna, I have yet to decide). If, that is, I can get myself to come up with more. Otherwise, I may be fixing up We Meet Again.


	4. It's You. It's Me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize about a thousand times over for taking -so fucking long- to update this; it wasn't intentional I just did not know where I wanted to go with it and a few other of my fics had decided to hijack my time and mind.

* * *

Nico went passed Frank to go to two of their spare bedrooms up on the second landing between his and Frank’s room. “Frank, can you get me fresh bedsheets and quilts?”

    Frank grunted in acknowledgement before he went off to fulfill the request. Both bedrooms were black and decorated with very little things. When he and Frank had dressed the beds he paused a moment before giving him more orders. “I want you to go to the market and buy clothing of different sizes. For a man and woman,”

    Frank nodded while looking to Nico curiously. “What are we preparing for?”

    “Octavian. He's lost servants. Tomorrow I want to go out and try to find them, bring them here if possible. I don't think my father will care all that much if I explain it. One of them is injured. I want to help them,” 

    “I’ll get everything. Shall I accompany you or have Leo be ready?”

    “It won't be necessary. Bianca will no doubt accompany me when I take my leave.” 

    Frank nodded, gave a noise of agreement, before going off to do as he was asked. Nico grabbed a bag and stuffed it medical supplies and some food that didn't need to be refrigerated. Bianca spotted him swiping food when she came in for a snack.

    “When are you going tomorrow?” she mumbled around a piece of an apple.

    “As soon as the sun rises. I don't know how far they're in and I'd rather leave earlier than later in the day.”

    “I’m coming with.” She bit into her apple some more before turning on her heel and going off, not giving him some sort of say. That was all right with Nico. He could use the company.

    Emily was already in the kitchen preparing dinner as she asked, “Should I make extra, Mr. Di Angelo?”

    “Nico, please, Emily. But no, not tonight. Tomorrow possibly. I'll explain to my father upon his return.”

    “Of course, Nico.”

    Emily was much more motherly towards him than Persephone was and Emily wasn't even his mother. It made him wonder if Persephone would ever be motherly towards him or even like him to some extent. Just because she did in their past lives, eventually liking him, didn't mean that she would in this one.

    By the time Frank had returned and settled everything away in the bag that Nico already had waiting, Emily had finished dinner. He allowed his three servants to dine with them while his father and stepmother were absent - Persephone didn't allow this sort of treatment and they usually had to wait to eat. Whenever she wasn't around Hades didn’t care either way. Nico had to begrudgingly admit that his stepmother wasn't all too bad considering her status of royal blood and marrying someone that she wanted.

    Nico was too nervous to eat all that much. He kept thinking about the blue shade he’d seen earlier that day and the way his submissive elf had warned him. It felt like a blessing. He instinctively knew, after thinking on it, that whoever was behind those eyes was the reason for him staying. Whenever they came face to face he knew that he would wholly be at peace with himself; something in him settling that he wasn't aware had needed it.

    Excusing himself Nico went to his room to shower. Once alone with his things he pulled the collar from his pocket and brought it to his nose. A scent was there lingering just along the material. It smelled like heaven, pulling a moan from his throat. It was something he'd never smelled before and it did something strangely wonderful to his insides. He knew it belonged to his mate, whoever it was. He wanted to sink his teeth into flesh and tease up hickeys, dig nails into someone. 

    He experimentally lifted the collar to his neck to check out how it looked while ignoring the tag on it. It made his cheeks flush as a soft whine eased out of his throat. The elf wasn't one to express submissive tendencies - not by a long shot. Imagining himself with a dominant, arm wound around him possessively and collar in place, he couldn't help but shift in place with eyes that drifted to his closed bathroom door to peer beyond it to his closet where his stash of clothing was.

    He set the collar in a drawer, still disgusted with the tag, before he showered and got ready for bed to rise early the next morning. He was vaguely aware that at some point during the night Leo had decided he didn't want to be in his bed all hours so he instead laid next to Nico’s bed to keep watch before rotating to Bianca, Frank, and eventually, Emily’s room when the times came. It was like having a guard dog that could breathe fire.

  
  
  
  


**     **     **

  
  
  
  


    In the morning Nico got up and dressed, bringing the bag he retrieved after he was fully ready. Bianca was already waiting for him by the door in a similar outfit, a tunic thrown over her bralette this time now. A quiver full of arrows at her back and a bow string diagonally across her chest in preparation.

    “How long have you been up?” Nico eyed her warily with a cocked eyebrow.

    “About ten minutes. I'm an early riser, you know,” Bianca opened the door while smirking at him.

    “You woke up at noon yesterday,” Nico pointed out in a deadpanned tone.

    “So, I'm  _ usually _ an early riser.” she shrugged her shoulders at him as they trekked across the street into the woods.

    Nico only snorted at first. There was a tugging sensation behind his sternum and he wasn't exactly sure what to make of it. He only knew that he needed to follow it. If he turned in the wrong sort of direction it became painful until he turned back towards the direction in which he’d initially been heading. Nico didn't think that it would lead him wrong at all.

    “What do you plan on telling Father and Mother if we can successfully retrieve the servants?” Bianca spoke up after they'd walked for roughly ten minutes.

    “I have no clue. I'm taking this one step at a time. First we have to see if they'll actually come with us. I don't know who or what they are, but we might as well try it anyway.”

    “Do you feel a pull to one of them?” her next question took him off guard, causing his startled look cast her way. “I know you have a soft spot for them as is, but you went as far as to set up rooms, much like you did for Leo. Are you assuming they're someone you know?”

    Nico thought on this for a moment. “It was a spur of the moment thing for Leo and what I did yesterday. I guess I did it without really realizing what it meant. I'm hoping they're someone I know, but I can't be too sure,”

    Bianca hummed to signal she was listening and let it sink in. “Are you ever going to tell me what happened to us in our past lives? You know Leo. You know Frank. You know something we don't and it makes you that much more protective. What happened?”

    “Something I'd rather not discuss, Bianca. I'll tell you Leo, Frank, and I were friends. Not the best, per se, but friends nonetheless. They were some of the first to really be there without judgment. They were all pretty fucking stubborn to boot,” Nico remembered with a fond smile. After Nico had come clean and started to really let them in they'd been relentless in getting Nico to allow them to shoulder some of his burdens. While relentless they were also respectful of his limits, for which he was grateful.

    He handed Bianca a granola bar before taking one for himself since they'd not gotten around to breakfast. Leo would no doubt be irritated they left the mansion without letting him know or taking him with which left Frank to pacify the salamander somehow and then the second patriarch to be yelled at upon their return to pacify him all over again.

    “Will I get to meet them again?” Bianca spoke around a mouthful of food.

    “Maybe. I can't see the future for that. I'll only know them when I see them.”

    Companionable silence followed afterwards. They had to backtrack a few times to go in different directions when the scents were no longer faint in the air. Eventually they came up to a stream, the surface glittering in different shades of blue with streaks of white. 

    “Do we have two ways to go, or just one?” Bianca knelt to examine some of the surrounding soil for any prints. She found a partial one with just a bare foot. Nico scanned the surrounding area with narrowed eyes. The scent trailed off towards his right while there was nothing to the left.

    “I think there's just one way. That way,” Nico pointed to his right. “It goes that way.”

    “If there's already two then there's a third person with them. Servants wear shoes. This is from a bare foot. Time to be on our guard,” Bianca held her bow and an arrow at the ready before going in the direction Nico had motioned to.

    Nico grunted, unsheathing his sword, to follow at her side. Since coming into the forest they'd so far crossed paths with various animals and nothing else. A few traps, but he didn't count inanimate objects from the hunters that wanted fair game. The closer in and away from the stream the more Nico felt as if he and Bianca were being watched. If the gods were still around Nico would have said it was them watching for their entertainment to see what they could throw at them to put a wrench in their plans.

    “Over there,” Bianca murmured while nodding towards their left. “I saw something.”

    Bianca hung back as Nico moved forward slowly, hilt of his sword gripped tightly in preparation as he headed in that direction. It was towards a group of boulders surrounded by trees and eventually Nico saw a flash of red mixed with green that flew at him unexpectedly. He almost swung when Bianca shouted, “No! Don’t!”

    In his confusion Nico didn’t know what to do. The option was taken from him when something slammed into him and he fell over. It wasn't just one something, either, before something else landed on his legs. The first thing he saw in his face was a girl’s face before whatever it was leapt off of him with a chirp then Bianca gave a squawk of surprise before a thud rattled the ground behind him.

     The thing at his legs hopped up his midsection to look down at him, feathered head cocking at him with eyes that were a deep red-orange. He wasn’t disappointed when he saw them as he could see the finer details in a soft baby blue this close up and the elf’s breath caught in his throat. The giant bird chirped at him much like the feathered girl, wings beginning to beat at his sides until his sword was dropped. This bird was the most stunning shades of red, red-orange, and yellow he'd ever seen.

    A voice sounded from behind the bird, his vision obscured. “So you found us. I'm impressed. No one has ever wandered this far into the forest before,”

    It was a voice Nico recognized that had him swiveling a bit to see the dark-skinned, light haired girl that addressed them. Hazel. Hazel Levesque. His half-sister in the world they used to belong in. Daughter of Pluto. She died young in her last life, too, searching for him; not nearly as young in Gaea’s time, but young enough. She wasn't mad about it, though. She was happy to have known what had happened to him versus thinking he'd be lost forever with not a body to be found and buried. Other information was that Nico and Hazel had managed to get messages to the rest of their friends, telling them they were dead and where their bodies were located for proper burials. It was all they'd asked.

    “I have no qualms with any forest and when I'm set to find something I don't give up,” Nico gave her a small smile as he sat up when the bird curled into his lap. Bianca had stood and was now standing beside him, the girl that had first tackled him hovered behind her. A harpy, Nico realized. The bird in his lap he found was a phoenix after spotting the haloed bands.

    With a start he realized that the harpy was Rachel, former Oracle of Delphi. She was mostly covered in feathers, but he recognized her face. She died a few years after Percy did once she passed the spirit of the Oracle to a new maiden who could handle it. 

    “I see that since you ventured this far,” Hazel tipped her chin down. That was all that she said because then she turned and walked off, disappearing into the surrounding woods. Nico was a little sad that he didn’t get to talk to her more. He was distracted when the phoenix in his lap nuzzled into him and cooed at him before hopping off of him.

    Both it and Rachel the Harpy moved to stand in front of them. Bianca grabbed his tunic and hauled him up by the strap, much to the elf’s annoyance. While he was fixing it phoenix and harpy shifted to their mortal forms. He wasn't all that surprised to see them when they turned, but what had his heart thundering in his chest was the sight of Will. It  _ was _ Will. Nico felt an amount of guilt when it came to Will, anyone who went to search for him, because he was the reason that they had died at young ages.

    Against his will, he breathed out, “Will,”

    Will narrowed his eyes at Nico. “It’s you,”

    Nico nodded. “It’s you, too,” both referring to the tugs they felt which was taut between them now in such proximity. Nico hadn't noticed it before with the phoenix having tackled him - along with Rachel - and the appearance of Hazel.

    “It’s me. Glad we established that. But how do you know my name?”

    “I’m an elf. We, ah, we're aware of our past lives. We knew each other in it,”

    Will kept his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “And what were we?”

    “I’ll just go with we knew each other quite well,” Nico lifted his chin. He also noted that while Rachel wore a collar Will did not. “I’m not here to haul you back for Octavian. I'm here to offer you a place to rest comfortably. For food and shelter,” Nico dug into his bag and pulled out two extra granola bars, offering one to either of them.

    Rachel grabbed one immediately, Will more cautious to do so before eventually they both ate it. Rachel the one to question him next. “Why do you want to help us?”

    “I’ve got no love for Octavian. I don't condone the way he treats servants, like they’re entirely expendable and lower than pets. If I had my way he wouldn't be king. He'd be getting a taste of his own medicine.”

    “I just don't like him. He leers too much where my eyes aren’t,” Bianca mentioned while examining her fingernails when she was really trying to hide the fact that she was eyeing Rachel with interest. “No matter what I wear,”

    Nico didn't miss the way Will’s eyes darkened with rage or the way Rachel suddenly dipped her head and subtly inched closer to Will out of instinct. Bianca noticed when he did, eyes narrowing.

    “Has he done something he shouldn't?” Bianca moved closer to Rachel. Nico could tell where exactly that relationship was going to go judging by both of their reactions. Rachel whimpered and instinctively sought the protection of Bianca, hands reaching out to her.

    “He threatened to hurt Will more if I didn't join his bed. He almost hit me,” Rachel whimpered some more and suddenly Bianca was pressing the girl’s face to her breasts.

   “ _ More _ ?” Nico growled lowly, eyes swinging to Will, remembering that one of them was hurt. He immediately moved closer to Will and started to run fingers along his body where the tear in a cloak was.

    “Hey!” Will protested, wriggling around in Nico’s hold. Nico tugged at a patch of cloth to see white of a bandage and when he tried to pry away the bandage even a smidge Will swatted at him. “I’m fine. It was just a scratch,” 

    Bianca and Nico shared a look. They definitely weren't letting these two in Octavian’s clutches again. It wasn't something they needed, especially with the way he acted towards them to the point where they escaped. With a look of disgust Bianca removed the collar around Rachel’s neck and shoved it into the bag Nico was still shouldering. They could have Leo torch them later on.

    “We’ll keep you two safe. We’ll figure something out. But for right now, we should get you two changed and fed properly,” Bianca patted Rachel’s head.

    They could get into a lot of trouble for ‘stealing’ something that belonged to a King and the two di Angelo siblings were willing to go with it. They were mates, Nico was certain of it, and something could certainly be done when one was thought to be in danger, right? Perhaps Nico’s father would know something better on that front.

    Rachel was all for that idea and swooned, leaning heavily into the valkyrie, who bent and picked her up before carrying her off. Nico rolled his eyes and glanced to Will, who was still rooted to his spot. “We aren't going to turn you over. We’d sooner find a way to help you out of an enslavement, Will.”

    Will pursed his lips. He looked like he desperately wanted to believe that while still holding onto a bit of hesitance. Finally making up his mind he stalked after Bianca. “Fine. But if something so much as goes wrong in a way I'm leaving and I'm taking Rachel with me. I'm not going to put her life on the line,”

    Nico smiled. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for the type to put someone's life in jeopardy anyway. I’ll fight for you myself,”

    Will gave a small laugh. “An elf not afraid to get his hands dirty,”

    “What’s  _ that _ supposed to mean?” Nico huffed.

    “Nothing.” Will smirked as he forged ahead to catch up to Bianca and Rachel.

_ You little shit _ , Nico thought to himself. It gave him an odd sense of deja vu. It would seem that in this life Nico would also be sassed by one Will Solace just because Will was the one person who never took his shit; simultaneously helping him out by breaking down his walls and battering at them until Nico let him in. If Will thought that elves were more girly then Nico would gladly prove him wrong if he had to beat his ass to do it (never mind his stash of outfits). If Nico was one thing it was stubborn. He might be a submissive elf, but he wasn't about to flee from a fight when he wasn't afraid of one. He'd been a demigod that had fought the worst monsters to ever walk the earth. He didn't flee then and he wouldn't now when the monsters weren't quite so scary depending on who you ran into. He would sooner gouge out his own eyes than give up. Giving up was something Nico also proved he didn’t do easily.

    On the trek back to the di Angelo mansion Will and Rachel recounted their story in full. About how they were first servants to the McLean’s, how they were bought, and then in the morning they were being brought to Octavian’s palace only to have that not go according to plan when their friends (names weren't given), and they were allowed to escape. Nico was a little startled to find out that the name of the guard Octavian brought him was none other than Luke Castellan. Now, Nico didn't know Luke personally - had never really talked to him - so all he knew was that then he had started the titan army and forced Percy to take everything into consideration when the gods didn't. Force them to begin to change their ways so no child was ever neglected again.

    And it had worked.

    Nico pushed ahead of them to see if the coast was clear. He motioned to them when it was and they jogged across the street, hand at his sword to keep it from clinking against him in any manner. Just as predicted the moment they shut the door behind them one irate salamander was slithering over, hissing and spitting out sparks of fire, much to the amusement of Will and Rachel.

    “What were you thinking? I'm supposed to go along if either of you go out and if separated Frank goes! I might be shedding, but that won't stop me from setting anyone on fire!” Leo was hissing while attempting to crawl up Nico’s legs as if he were smaller than he actually is.

    “First off, remove yourself from me before you set me on fire. Second, we weren't even gone long, Leo,” Nico edged around the salamander while going to the kitchen. Leo, who didn't seem to hear a word, continued with his tirade.

    Leo started checking Nico for injuries and after he was satisfied he started to do the same thing to Bianca, whom had a fond look in her eyes. “You could've been hurt. You've been gone for, like, six hours!”

    “Yes and now it’s, like, noon,” Nico mimicked in the same tone. He got a dirty look from Leo, spitting fire at him and setting a carpet on fire. Frank came running out with a fire extinguisher, shouting, “I got it!”

    Both rescued servants looked like their eyes were going to pop out of their skulls from the way Leo was acting towards his ‘higher ups,’ and they technically were, but Nico didn't want to be treated like someone who was feared. He had gone through it once before; almost everyone had steered clear of him. The elf would rather have respect and loyalty than be followed out of blind fear; at least he knew that those were better rather than have someone hightail it off when things got rougher.

    “What is  _ thissss _ ?” Leo started crawling up Will now, sniffing him and hissing.

    “Leo, meet Will. Will, Leo. Now get off him!” Nico went over and grabbed his collar to tug Leo off the phoenix.

    “I’m a phoenix and you're rude,” Will scowled at a fiery patch on his arm. Frank almost put him out only to realize the flames were sinking into his skin.

    Leo hissed at Nico again before slithering off to the kitchen still very obviously miffed. “He’ll get over it. I promised to help him shed if he had issues. Which he will, so my fate is sealed and you owe me,” Frank arched an eyebrow before going to put the extinguisher away. 

    Rachel cocked her head as Bianca set her down, arm still over her shoulders while Bianca had an arm around Rachel’s waist. “They don't - they don't get into trouble?”

    Nico snorted. “Not at all. I don't actually care how they act, nor does my father, but they are aware of how they should act around royalty if the need calls for it. Can't have them getting punished by some haughty, insufferable noble,”

    Will, again, was gaping as if he couldn't believe the words that had come from Nico’s mouth. It didn't matter what class Nico was since the words would have left him anyway. Nico waved them along towards the kitchen where Emily was, fixing sandwiches for lunch, and Leo had become hydraulic again next to the mortal woman.

    “Why does he do that?” Rachel pointed towards Leo.

    “Oh, and this is Rachel,” Nico hooked a thumb at the harpy. “But I don't know. He likes to.”

    Emily whirled around in her spot in a jump as if she had forgotten they were back. She beamed at them, bending to give Leo a sandwich since he was closer. “Hello, dears. I made sandwiches for lunch. Come eat,” she motioned towards the table and the plates.

    “Emily this is Will and Rachel. And I’m not doing anymore introductions,” Nico walked to the table and sat down, bag falling from his shoulder to the ground. Rachel immediately sat, hesitated, before she dug in. Will and Bianca followed suit shortly after. 

    “Is there anything we could do for you in return?” Rachel swallowed to avoid talking around a mouthful of bread, cheese, and turkey. 

    Bianca sipped at her water before replying, “I don't think so. Is there anyone else Octavian has around, someone you know, that may need help? We may not be able to do much about it, but we'll be aware.”

    Rachel shook her head. “We don't know anyone there, at all. So, no.”

    “We’ll come up with something. Maybe King Tristan will give him back all the money used to pay for you. We could get an audience with the King, too, maybe. See if something can be done, investigating. If he's misusing his power something may be able to be done especially if the other kingdoms decide that he doesn't deserve it and someone else is elected. As far as I know he doesn't have an heir, so someone better suited within his kingdom could take over, or an heir from a different kingdom. I'll see about it when Father returns. We have two more days before he is due back,” Nico leaned forward, fingers lacing together after he’d finished eating.

    “Do you really think something can be done?” Rachel asked.

    “That’s the thing - I’m not sure. Which is why we'll wait for the patriarch to return. We'll be fine eventually. After we get everything sorted out.”

    None of the others looked quite so convinced and honestly Nico didn't really feel it, either. His voice conveyed differently as he hoped it strongly.

    After they'd eaten Nico showed Will to the room he would be in for the time being. He seemed content it was so close to Nico’s. Rachel wasn't thrilled that her room was separated from Bianca’s by two more rooms, but was willing to settle for the time being. While Nico waited for Will to finish showering and changing - thankfully his estimates had been right clothing-wise - he sat on the bed, fingers playing with the fabric of the quilt. He could feel the creature within him calling out instinctively to the creature that resided in Will silently, no need to voice it outright. It was much easier for a bond to form because they had one all those centuries ago.

    That voice he had heard yesterday was a little more persistent with his mate so close and in reach. The elf knew he would do just about anything to ensure Will would stay by his side so they’d never be separated.

    By the time Will had gotten out out of the bathroom, steam spilling from the now open door. He didn't have on a shirt and it showed the cut on his side that Nico immediately zeroed in on with a whine. Getting up he went over to check it out, crouching as he lightly touched the area around it. Will shifted with a grunt while looking down to him.

    “Yes, little elf?” Will murmured.

    “Little?” Nico glared with an indignant growl, still on his knees. “You’re injured. I should patch you up.”

    Will opened his mouth, but Nico was already gone. When he came back he forced Will to sit as he washed his hands. Despite having already showered and cleaned himself, Nico cleaned the wound again before dressing it carefully. He wouldn't admit that he let his hands linger longer than was necessary for the sole purpose he wanted to feel. The creature within Nico yearned for Will’s touch, yearned to be loved by the one it had claimed for itself. There was nothing else to it. To be made whole by the phoenix. Nico was by no means weak or too submissive and yet in the face of what would be dominant mate he wanted to be taken care, to be pampered, and to even return it. Doing everything in his power to make sure that Will was content with nothing else to worry off.

    “Your hands deceive your nonchalant exterior, you know,”

    Nico looked up and said coolly, “I don't know what you're talking about,”

    Will just smirked, putting his shirt on before creeping closer and closer until his thigh bumped into Nico’s knee. “You’re watching me. Your eyes are lingering. Your hands lingered. I can tell when I’m being checked out,” Will then leaned closer to whisper, “So do I meet your expectations?”

    There was a gleam in Will’s eyes that was somewhere between determination, amusement, and a ferocity that drew Nico in just as it had the first time. When Will made him see that people wanted to be his friends and all Nico knew how to do was to push them away at first. Nico leaned forward so that they were inches apart; making a show of looking him up and down. “For right now you do.”

    Will took that to mean that he was doing okay so far. He wasn't as wary as he was when they first met. Up close and personal he knew that he'd known this elf before without ever actually having set eyes upon him before yesterday. He had to stop himself on numerous occasions from chirping with delight; more so whenever Nico got closer.

    The two of them spoke of everything and nothing: Will during his time of being a servant, making his own friends there, the princesses, King and Queen. Nico knew two of them: Piper and Lacy. He wasn't very familiar with Silena, having heard the name a few times in passing in both of his lives. Nico spoke about his life, meeting their three servants that he considered friends, his father and stepmother, and his sister, whom he spoke highly about. It was so easy, like second nature, to pour out some of the things he was with Will, having done this once before.

    Dinner was spent in relative peace and quiet aside from the idle chatter amongst the young adults with Emily watching with a smile on her face. It wasn't often the two young adults she watched over were seen interacting with others, more so the young elf who - more often than not - didn't want much to do with anyone else. Those that he did were usually someone he had known in the past. It had taken her years to get the elf comfortable around her - despite being mortal, to which he didn't seem to mind - enough to let her in without knowing who she had been once before. The young valkyrie typically spent her time around children - mostly girls - and teaching them techniques to keep the older boys and men at bay if they got too hands-on when it wasn’t welcome and even when it began to be unwelcome when it first had been.

    The bell rang when Nico and Will were helping with clean up and dishes (even as Emily insisted she didn’t need help), so someone else answered. What followed next was a piercing shriek of either joy or horror - Nico wasn’t sure right then - and then everyone racing to the front. What met Nico’s eyes was a blonde girl, a dark haired boy, and a man who looked similar to the boy. It took another second before he realized who they were: Annabeth, Percy, and Poseidon. All three were dressed in bright blues and teals - the colour scheme for that kingdom - with the King wearing his crown and furred cloak in a deeper shade of blue with swirls of teal.

    When Nico got a whiff of Percy’s scent he shouldn't have been too surprised, yet he was. The expression he wore was enough to warn others to back off, that he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty at all, he would protect what was his - in the sense of family. Annabeth and Percy launched themselves at Rachel and Will, checking for injuries. A flood of memories with Percy and Annabeth invaded his mind and he had to hold back a whimper. There was no haunted look in those green or grey eyes. No sadness that foretold his fate or gaunt faces scratched and caked with blood. Only happiness had shone in those depths now for which Nico was grateful their lives were better than before as well.

    “How did you know they were here?” Nico approached Percy reverently.

    He stopped his bear hugging assault on Rachel to look up at the elf. Percy had a guarded, protective expression for a brief moment before it softened. Something in Percy recognized him and made him feel at ease. It was that very thing that had Percy jumping up and giving him a bear hug of his own. This one had always been so brotherly towards him, caring for him more than was necessary after everything that had been done and the things he had kept hidden.

    “I smelled Will come this way, the scent is stronger,” Percy pulled back while ruffling his hair, which had the elf scowling at the young adult in front of him. Percy merely gave his signature troublemaker grin that, as always, was lopsided.

    “We get to go with Poseidon!” Annabeth interrupted. “Apparently Octavian was shooting for me, too, by Luke’s request and he wanted us safe. Percy and his mother are with. Percy because we're mates and well, Sally is his mother. Both are self-explanatory,” 

    “Where is Sally?” Rachel leaned around them to try and look.

    “Oh, my mom is in the carriage sleeping. She's got a small cold, so she's sleeping it off,”

    Nico gave Poseidon a cautious look. This wasn't something they should be saying in front of a King. Annabeth, seeing Nico’s look, spoke up again, “Oh, it’s okay. He knows already. He has a plan for investigation matters on Octavian and thinks it would be best to see someone else on the throne. We’re going to see Piper’s betrothed, King Jason, in two days’ time. King Tristan is working on sending word back to Octavian that he wants you two back, forsaking his alliance in favour of King Poseidon and King Jason’s.”

    Nico raised a hand. “Will and I are mates. That gives me a right to have his living conditions checked, does it not, King Poseidon? Mates are sacred, no matter the class we're in,”

    The King raised his eyebrows before looking to him and then Will. Percy and Annabeth gaped. “It does indeed now that I remember such a thing. How would you feel to come along to the Grace manner with me? We can bring your father as he must be around considering he is just that and the rightful patriarch,”

    “The di Angelo patriarch isn't here, he's at a ball of sorts at King Tristan’s, but he'll return in two days. My lord, I have spare rooms if you would like to remain here before your journey,”

    The King smiled. “Yes, that would be perfect, as a matter of fact. We must rest and tend to the horses, as the journey is long and there are storms on the way. Can they be housed somewhere?”

    “Ah, yes, of course. Forgive me, my lord. Frank!”

    Frank and Emily had disappeared back into the kitchen when they discovered that it hadn't been someone breaking in. “Yes?”

    “Please show Lord Poseidon to the back for his horses. Emily, go with to check with to see how many passengers he has and the rooms that must be prepared,”

    Emily smiled and flitted her way towards the King with Frank in tow. No doubt Poseidon had at least two more passengers, Sally and a personal guard. 

    Leo chose that moment to slither from the kitchen while screeching about new arrivals and climbing around on Percy and Annabeth, the former who looked a smidge uncomfortable while the latter thought he was adorable. Leo hissed once or twice at the abundance of people around before slithering away with his tail swishing in irritation.

    Tristan - and Poseidon, it seemed - was already on their side. If they could convince Jason to agree to something like an investigation then not all was lost. The words Nico had spoken earlier were not so hopeless anymore. Jason was the one who could do most of what he pleased being the ultimate Lord to each one. Octavian may have money and the likes, but he couldn't go against Jason without having a bloodbath on his hands since his Lordship was greater in numbers. Even if Octavian gave Rachel and Will back with agreement the castle could still be put under investigation if the other kingdoms felt it was necessary.

    Nico invited the others to eat as they hadn't yet, getting more plates for Poseidon and however much more company he had with him - a few extras just in case. Nico could feel himself smile slowly. Yes, with the others on their side it would be in the right direction for a new start. It wouldn’t be all too easy, Nico was aware of that, but if they could get it to where things would be better with a ruler out of power then the elf was willing to do nearly whatever else was needed of him. For his safety and for his mate and for Rachel. For whoever else was suffering. It would more likely be promising and worth everything. 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A round of applause to my beta, tacticalghoul (not on AO3, but Tumblr), for correcting mistakes I may have made.   
> Second, my name will be changing to match my Tumblr (where you get previews and updates and such) once I get my other ones updated so everyone knows. (My Tumblr is AMuseWithinMe, so remember that or the name of the fics you like).   
> Feed me some love new/old readers. It's been awhile.


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